Escape
by rowaelingalathynius
Summary: When Feyre finds herself in desperate need of a friend, she ends up shedding her toxic relationships. When she's hired for a birthday party and meets a beautiful stranger, maybe a friend isn't the only thing she needed. But first, she needs to escape from the one relationship thats suffocating her. Modern AU.
1. The Birthday

**We are in no way taking credit for SJMAAS's world, we are just borrowing her characters and putting them in a modern day world. I wish we were, but alas this is the real world. All the characters belong to her, but we are the creators of this story.**

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 **Chapter 1-The Birthday**

Paint? Check. Brushes? Check. I went through a mental checklist of all my supplies, frantically searching the contents of my purse for the address of the home I was suppose to go to. After a few moments, I dug it out, relieved it was still in one piece. The man, _Rhys_ , he said to call him, messaged me on Facebook yesterday asking if I could be the face painter for his sister's birthday party. I had no idea how he got ahold of me, a tattoo artist, but I was happy to oblige, anything to get a little more cash that I was desperate to receive-even if it was such short notice. The fact that he offered double was also extremely convincing.

I ran out the door, making sure to lock the knob and the deadbolt; in a neighborhood like mine, you could never be too safe. I glanced down at the address in my hand and typed it into my phone. Fortunately, it was only 10 minutes away from here, I raised my eyebrows, and clearly in the good part of town. And by good, I mean where all the rich people live.

I drove for a few minutes pondering about the party. How old were the girls? Would I be good enough? Would they hate everything I paint and kick me out without paying me? The man hadn't told me anything about what the age group would be when we discussed the arrangements. I knew I'd come to the right place when dozens of small girls, around the ages of 5-7 were milling around a huge mansion. Mansion didn't even cover it, this was a castle and if I didn't know better, I'd think the people who lived here were actual royalty. The houses in my neighborhood would barely be hovels in comparison to the house I was standing in front of. My car was clearly out of place in the midst of the expensive looking sports cars.

I was about to grab my supplies and climb out of my car, when someone scared me out of my mind by opening the door for me and helping me out. I was too shocked to do anything but stare straight ahead with my mouth wide open.

The man lets out a breathy chuckle and holds his hand out for me to shake. "Hello, I'm Rhys. You must be Feyre? The face painter?" He was talking to me, I realized belatedly, and I slowly dragged my eyes up from his chest to his face, and once again the breath was knocked out of me. Stunning violet eyes gazed back at me with a hint of amusement. He had a pinched smile on his face, like he was holding back a laugh. "Please tell me it is you. This would be really embarrassing if it wasn't."

Coming out of my daze, I immediately stuck my hand out, giving his a brief shake and forced myself to talk. "Oh! Yes. Sorry, you scared me. Normally people don't go around opening my car doors," I said, trying to diffuse the awkwardness. I had to force myself to look away from his perfectly sculpted face so I decided to turn towards his house. "Is the party inside or outside?" I ask.

"Outside. Yeah, I wouldn't trust my sister's friends inside," he said mostly to himself. I turned to look at him-he looked close to my age, probably in his early to mid-twenties. Clearly too young to be living in this house by himself and taking care of his baby sister.

"Lead the way," I said grabbing my supplies and closing my car door. Normally I would make sure the doors were locked, but something told me that the people here wouldn't be interested in the wreck that was my car.

As we walked on his enormous lawn, he was humming something that I recognized to be a classical tune and I lifted my eyebrows up in surprise. I would have pegged him for a alternative music kind of guy.

I observed him, again; this time from behind. He was wearing an extremely tight white t-shirt and swim trunks, which made be believe this would be a pool party. Thankfully, my face paint was waterproof. By the width of his shoulders and the size of his arms, it was obvious that he spent a good amount of time at the gym downtown. He swung his arms as he walked and I was too distracted by the muscles on his back to notice when he came to an abrupt stop, which of course, sent me crashing into him.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed pathetically as I tried to right myself, I saw the ground coming towards me at a rapid pace before I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and steady me.

"Are you okay?" he asked with no small amount of amusement. I felt my face flush and I mumbled a sorry in his direction, not meeting his gaze. He was so tall I could barely see the smirk that was plastered on his face. He removed his hands from my waist and I backed up a few steps.

"So, you can set up your supplies over there," he said gesturing to a huge tent lined with tables. "Watch out, once they see you they'll all come rushing at once. I hope you got your princess painting down," he said with a small laugh.

I looked around at the dozen adorable girls running around in tutu's and tiaras and I had to let out a laugh of my own. Rhys looked down at me with a small smile at his face. He leaned in a bit and I blushed at his close proximity. "I might come keep you company if I feel the need to hide from the moms," he said into my ear.

I looked at the moms who were busy talking with each other and I noted that there were no dad's here. I wonder where his parents were, but I thought it better just to keep my mouth shut. I barely knew him. I managed a polite nod and I set out to work. Thank god there was a tent; I would melt from the heat otherwise.

Sure enough, once I had all my supplies laid out Rhysand yelled-loud enough for the whole block to hear-"who wants face painting?"

The girls all let out squeals of 'me' and 'I do!' then came barricading towards me. Rhysand flashed me a teasing grin and I shook my head. He hadn't been wrong.

"Um...If you can get in a line please. We'll take turns," I said trying to calm down the hoard of girls who were arguing over who got to go first. No one even heard me.

"You heard her! Get in a line!" someone shouted from beside me. I jumped up in my

seat and turned to look at Rhysand, who was seated next to me.

"How did you get here so fast?" I asked. He laughed and shrugged. I shook my head,

again, and called up the first little girl. She had trouble getting on the chair so Rhysand hoisted her up with one arm, the muscles in his arm flexing. Whoah Feyre, focus!

"What's your name?" I asked softly.

"I'm Amara and I'm Rhys's sister!" she said proudly, lifting her chin and looking at looking at Rhys. I laughed at glanced at Rhysand who gazed back at his sister with soft, loving eyes.

"Well, happy birthday Amara! What do you want me to paint on you?"

"Um.. I want.. A princess!" she said after a few minutes of thinking. Rhysand shot me an I-told-you-so look and I chuckled, wetting my paint brush. I was hyperaware of Rhysand staring at my hands in awe as if he hadn't seen anyone paint before. Honestly, I wasn't even that good. My work was mediocre at best.

Twenty girls later, my hand was unusually stiff from painting so many princesses. Rhysand had stayed beside me the entire time, not uttering a word. I was in concentration mode; when I painted, it was as if I was transported into a whole different world. I noticed all of the proud moms coming to take pictures of me and their child as I was painting, and it took everything in me not to hide behind my hair.

"So, I guess I'm finished then," I said, standing up to stretch my legs. I flexed my fingers trying to regain some feeling into them.

"Not so fast. I want one too," Rhysand said with a smile tugging on his lips.

"Oh? What would you like? A princess, pony? How about Elsa?" I asked with pretend enthusiasm counting them off on my fingers.

"I want a bat," he said simply and sat on the chair the girl's previously occupied. I cracked a smile and tried not to blush again from his nearness. Since he was so tall, his knees touched mine when I sat down.

"Sure thing, batboy," I laughed. I'd realized that I'd laughed more here than I had in the last year.

I tried not to stare into his deep violet eyes as he was staring unflinchingly at mine. Instead, I focused on his nose, a straight, elegant nose that would keep me up until I painted it. I brought my trembling fingers up to his hair that fell onto his eyebrows to brush it away, but it would just fall right back into place.

"You hair won't stay out the way, will it?" I asked, exasperated. I turned for a second and fished my purse for a head band. "If you want me to finish, put this on, okay?" I said, handing him the black, thick headband.

"You're serious aren't you?" he said with a sigh. I gave him a pointed look and he sighed again through his nose and put it on. Surprisingly, he knew how to put it on. I struggled to maintain my poker face as I finished the last of it. But I couldn't hold it in any longer and I burst out in uncontrolled laughter.

"You think this is funny?" Rhysand said incredulously. "This," he said gesturing to his face, "is beautiful." He struck a pose.

I rolled my eyes at his arrogance, but there was no denying that he was beautiful. He took out his phone and went to the camera to see his face.

"Wow. Feyre, this is really good," he said, making funny faces in his camera.

"It's just face paint…" I trailed off, embarrassed at his off-handed compliments.

"This is not just face paint. This is art. I wouldn't be able to do this," he said touching his face. "Come on, let's take a picture."

"What? No, it's okay! Just give me your phone, I can take a picture of you and your sister if you want," I said trying to divert the attention away from myself. I hated pictures-of me, that is.

"Oh come on! Just one," he said, and before I knew what he was doing he came next to me, pinning my arms in place by wrapping his arms around my shoulder. His fingers gave my side a soft tickle, and I couldn't hold my laughter in. He took the picture, but he made sure to take the headband off first. "Look at that, you don't look like you're about to murder me," he said showing me the picture.

I had to admit, It was a pretty good picture. Rhysand had his charming smile on, and I was laughing softly, my full smile on display.

"That is a good picture," I said after a moment, not sure of what to say. He just smiled and held out his hand.

"Do you have a phone?" he asked.

"Of course I have a phone," I said with a 'duh' tone.

"Can I see it?" that's why he had his hand out. I reluctantly gave him my phone, not knowing what he was going to do with it.

I didn't have a passcode so he easily went to my contacts and added his number in it. I blushed for the umpteenth time and took my phone back. His fingers lingered on mine as I snatched it back.

"Call me," he said, gesturing to my phone.

"What?" Was he asking me out? I don't know how these things work.

"I don't have your number. If you call me, I'll get it," he explained with a smile. He was always smiling, it seemed.

I called his number and a generic ringtone buzzed from his pocket. He fished his phone out with his calloused fingers and answered the call.

"Rhysand speaking," he said into the phone.

"Hi, this is Feyre. The girl who was forced to give you her number," I replied back.

"Oh, I got to go. There's a pretty girl I need to get back to," he said with a smirk. He

ended the call and I was pretty sure my face was crimson red.

"I can send you the picture," he said, and he was already on it. Seconds later, my phone beeped.

"Thanks. I guess it's time for me to go now," I said checking the time.

"Going so soon? You don't want to stick around some more? Or is my company already tiring you?" he said it teasingly, but I detected a hint of sadness in his voice, but it was gone the second he mischievously added, "the mom's won't give me a break once you leave," he stage whispered.

I grinned. "I actually have to catch my shift at work and I have to change. Thank you, though."

"Where do you work?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"I work at the tattoo parlor on the main road in town. You know it?"

"You're a tattoo artist? That's amazing. I've gone in there a couple of times, but I never got one." He smiled again before he took out his wallet and handed me wad of bills. "This should cover it, right?"

I shook my hands and my head. "It's on me. This was my pleasure." But he still insisted, going as far as prying my hands open and shoving the cash in.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said and I shook my head. He was overpaying, by a lot.

I awkwardly said bye and waved at head backing up towards the gate.

"Don't be a stranger!" he called and I turned around to see the view of him taking his shirt off, revealing a spectacularly muscled torso and diving into the pool. I looked around and noticed I wasn't the only one swooning. I got into my car and looked at the picture on my phone, smiling. I set the picture as my background, which was weird since I've just met him. But I closed my eyes in bliss, reveling in the fact that in those moments I'd forgotten about _him._

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 **A/N: Hope you liked it! This whole story is going to be in Feyre's POV.**


	2. The Tattoo

**Chapter 2-The Tattoo**

I finished up a rather easy tattoo on a girl who I thought looked a bit underage, but I accepted nonetheless because our shop does whatever it can do get more customers. The tattoo was a simple heart on her hand and I discreetly rolled my eyes when she asked for it. If I had a nickel for the amount of times I've done a tattoo like that, I'd be rich.

The bell on the door rang as another customer walks in. I didn't look up, another person can do the tattoo on whoever is next. But my mind changed immediately when I recognized the voice. How could I forget that deep, soft voice?

I looked up beneath my lashes too see the one and only, Rhysand, leaning against the counter talking with Marissa, the helpless flirt on the counter, who was blushing as bright as a tomato.

"I can do your tattoo if you'd like," she said in what she probably thought was a seductive voice, as she twirled a piece of her straight-from-the-box blonde hair.

"Actually, is Feyre here today?" he asked casually with an upward lift of his eyebrows. My heart sped up so rapidly I was sure the girl beside me could hear it. She also happened to be checking Rhysand out.

Marissa shot me a disappointed glance and turned back to Rhysand. "She's working on someone else right now, but you can wait if you want," she added the latter albeit reluctantly.

I finished cleaning up my client and rattled off the details of how to care for the tattoo as quickly as I could.

I shot up to my feet and walked to the front, trying to look as if I hadn't heard the whole conversation. I tried to act surprised when I saw Rhysand waiting in the small waiting room, tapping his converse clad foot against the floor. It'd been a week and a half since the birthday party and Rhysand and I had exchanged friendly conversations via text after that. It didn't prepare me for the magnificent sight that was well, him. He was wearing an outfit that was all black, complete with a black leather jacket. He fit right in with the atmosphere.

"Rhysand?" I said taking a few steps towards him.

He jerked his head up and jumped to his feet. "Feyre!" he greeted.

"What're you doing here?" I asked stupidly-of course he was here for a tattoo.

"I'm finally going to man up and get a tattoo. I wanted to surprise you."

"Don't be sexist, girls don't 'man up' to get tattoos," I mock-scold him.

"My mistake," he answers back smoothly. My eyes widen in surprise, whenever I mention sexism men seem to be put in an off mood.

"I'm a proud feminist you know," Rhysand said earnestly, earning himself a small smile.

"Welcome to the club. I can take you to the back to work on you. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Well, Feyre, darling-if you wanted me in private all you had to do was ask," he said with a smirk. I tried to control the flush that was heating my face, I really did, but with no success. I noticed Marissa giving me the death glare, so I wordlessly led Rhysand to my tattoo room.

Once he was seated I lifted my eyes up to his unbreakable gaze. It was like he was staring straight into my soul. "Did you-uh-did you have any designs in mind?" I asked, barely managing to get the words out. His smirk grew. He knew the effect he was having on me and he enjoyed seeing me flustered. Prick.

"Yes, uh-" was it just me or did he seem flustered. He rubbed the back of his neck and continued, "I want mountains and stars on my knees," he rushed out. I knew not to ask my clients what their tattoos represented, _if_ they even represented anything, but Rhysand was an exception.

"Does it mean anything?" I asked him, my curiosity taking over. He was silent for a moment, making me regret asking him. "Not that it has to mean anything, I was just curious." I hastily added.

"It means, it mean that I'll bow down to nothing." I was silent for a moment before he added, "I know it's stupid, but-"

"So dramatic," I said with a smile, trying to tell him I understood. "It might take a while, it is your-uh- knees. Do you have a drawing or do you want me to wing it?"

"As long as it's mountains and stars, you can do what you want. Your vision is probably better than mine," he said as he proceeded to unbutton his jeans. Wait, what?

I turned around quickly, and my breathing became unsteady. Rhysand let out a chuckle filled with amusement.

"Feyre, you're going to have to look at me to do the tattoo," he said a little…unevenly?

I slowly nodded and turned around to find Rhysand smirking back at me-without pants. I forced myself to look at his knees, and his knees only.

"Set your legs on the mat." I tried to remain professional. He complied and I noticed that he was staring at me again, clearly amused. "What color did you have in mind?" I asked.

"I was thinking a midnight blue, close to black but not quite," he said quietly, as if he was lost in thought.

I nodded and I sat in the stool next to him. For a while, it was silent, me just precisely drawing the outline of what I assumed his vision was of. I would ask him if he liked it, and he would answer me back with praise that made me blush for minutes longer than necessary. I didn't take any breaks, other than pauses to stretch out my fingers. I didn't want the image erased out of my mind. He was perfectly still under the needle, for which I was grateful for, I hated clients who fidget under the pressure of the needle. They just made things so much harder. I worked in complete silence, the way I liked it. After two hours, I was finally finished. I sucked in a breath; it was by far my best work. Something about this being _Rhysand_ made me make sure there were absolutely no mistakes. For a moment, we just stared at it, before Rhysand broke the silence and crooned, "see something you like?" with a cocky smirk, I just rolled my eyes and laughed a bit.

"It's beautiful, Feyre," he said, again that piercing gaze.

I explained to him the details of caring for the tattoo as I did hundreds of clients.

"Feel free to call me if you have any questions," I said at last. "And you can put your pants on now," I said, this time I was the one smirking, and he was the one with a slight flush on his cheeks.

"I think I'm going to wear shorts for the rest of my life. I have to show off this masterpiece," he said, shaking his legs. I turned around while he slid into his pants, even though I'd already seen him without them.

I rung him up on the counter and he didn't flinch at the price. For two hours of work, and with the amount of detail I put into it, it should easily cost around $500. It does depend on the artist however. I decided on a compromise of $300, knowing that a price too low would most likely get me in trouble from the manager. Rhysand gave me an outrageous tip that had me shaking my head, again, at his money.

"Rhysand-"

"Feyre, please don't call me Rhysand. I think we know eachother well enough for you

to call me Rhys now, or you can call me darling, or sweetheart. Whatever you prefer," he smirked.

I was about to come up with a witty comeback before my phone started ringing. Everyone I knew, which were only a few people, knew never to call me during my work hours. Already knowing who it might be, I held up a finger and gave Rhysand an apologetic smile before I said, "hold that thought."

Dreading every second, I reached for my phone and the contact name did indeed confirm my suspicions as to who it was.

"Feyre! Where are you?" Tamlin growled from his side of the phone, "I drove in front of your house but your car wasn't there. Tell me where you are right now!" I closed my eyes for a brief moment and inhaled deeply, turning my back to Rhys as if that gave me privacy.

"Hello to you too, Tamlin. I'm still at work. I was working on a hard tattoo and I just finished," I tried to keep my breathing steady.

"I expected you an hour ago! You couldn't have left a message?" he exclaimed so loud that I had to bring the phone away from my ear. I was so embarrassed-Rhys could probably hear every word.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice turning into a desperate whine. "I'll be there soon. I-I love you," I said quietly, knowing that would be my best attempt to calm him down. He grumbled something unintelligible as he abruptly hung up. I struggled to fight the insistent tears that were pooling in my eyes. Not now. I started to count to ten to cool my breathing. _One, two, three-_

"Feyre? Are you alright?" Rhys softly said from behind me. I plastered what I hoped to be a convincing smile on my face as I turned around. He had a concerned look in his eyes and his mouth was set in a grim line.

"What? Oh, yes. I'm fine. I'll see you around, Rhysa- _Rhys_ ," I said, my voice too thin, too fake. Everything inside me screamed _liar_ , but I managed to give him a small smile and wave as I walked outside, my legs trembling. I was still clutching Rhys's money in my hand and I shoved it in my purse. When I got inside the safety of my car, I rested my head on the steering wheel and let out an exhausted breath. I didn't know how long I stayed like that before there was a soft knock on my window.

I jerked my head up, half expecting to see a face mask and a gun, but it was just Rhys. He was standing with his hands in his pockets and gave a small smile that didn't reach his eyes when I rolled the window down.

He bent so that his face was at the same level as mine then said, "If you ever need anywhere to go, anyone to talk to, you know where I live." He didn't say anything else as he turned and walked around the building to his car.

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 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We'll be posting the next one on Friday!**

 **I'm going to try to reply to all the comments I get so here it goes!**

 ** _Livy2019_ ; _Trinity_ ; _Arwen4eva_ ; _thorn of roses2205_ ; Guest; _14bubbles_ : Thank you! I hope you enjoy what's next to come. I'm glad you want to keep reading! There's still a lot more to this story.**

 ** _Lovaticstayingstrong_ : Thank you, I'll go and add in the characters.**


	3. The Boyfriend

**Chapter 3-The Boyfriend**

Ready to turn in for the day, I pushed my keys in the ignition with a violent jerk of my fingers. My mind went over the endless possibilities of scenarios which could go down once I reached my house. I drove for a while, completely in a daze, until I reached my house. Thankfully, Tamlin's truck wasn't there yet.

I quickly grabbed my purse and got out of the car, not too keen on staying outside this late. I grabbed the papers out of the mailbox and unlocked my door while flipping through them. Mostly bills, some coupons, and a letter addressed to me. From Prythian University. My heart stopped for a moment. I quickly ripped open the envelope and unfolded the paper within.

I covered my open mouth when I read it: _Congratulations Feyre Acheron! On behalf of the Prythian community, I have the pleasure of announcing your admission for this Fall!_

There were paragraphs after that, so many sentences I couldn't read as my vision clouded with tears. I actually got accepted. I actually did it. I shoved the papers in my purse as I noticed a pair of headlights flash outside the window. I mentally cursed. I hastily sat down at the table and pretended to be absentmindedly playing on my phone when the door bursts open and Tamlin came storming in.

"What in the world is wrong with you?" he yelled. "Do you even know how worried I was when I saw that you weren't home when you said you would be?" He had a wild look in his eyes and his arms gestured violently as he shouted.

I stood up and put my hands in front of me, saying, "I'm sorry, some guy came in asking for a detailed tattoo and-"

"A guy? I don't believe you. Are you cheating on me?" He accused, getting closer and closer. I took a few smalls steps back, still holding my arms up in a pleading gesture.

"No, I swear. It was just a tattoo," I explained. "You know I love you." That usually worked, but it had the opposite effect.

"No, I don't. Last week you took a job, on such short notice, for someone you barely knew-"

"It was a little girl's birthday party!" I exclaimed. It wouldn't help if I told him that it was the same guy who hired me who asked me for the tattoo.

"How should I know that? Now you're doing a tattoo for some _guy_ for hours?" he screamed, still getting closer.

"It's hard doing tattoos. It was really detailed, and knees are such a hard place-" shit, I immediately knew I'd said the wrong thing.

"Did you make him strip naked for you too?" he said incredulously. I covered my face with my hands, as if that would help me escape his demanding gaze. He grabbed my wrists, with an aching pressure, and forced them down to my sides, still not letting go.

"Tell me the truth," he seethed.

"I am!" I exclaimed. At that moment my phone started ringing. At the worst possible moment. With deliberate slowness, Tamlin released my wrists and walked over to the table where my purse was.

"Who is calling you at this time?" he said, but he wasn't expected an answer. My heart thud harder and harder with each passing second, so hard I thought it would fly out my throat.

He dumped the contents of my purse on the table and snatched up the phone.

"Who is Rhysand?" he said in a deadly calm. My heart was beating wildly and I had to attempt to control my breathing. He answered the phone and said, "hello?" To my horror, or maybe relief, he put it on speaker.

"Who is this? I want to speak to Feyre. Is she ok? Did she arrive home safely?" Rhys frantically said.

"Who the hell are you?" Tamlin ground out between his teeth.

"Who are you?" Rhys countered. I squeezed my eyes shut, his stubbornness wouldn't do him any good in this situation.

"I'm her boyfriend, that's who. Are you her secret lover?" Tamlin said and I would've scoffed.

"What? No! I'm just her…friend. I wanted to ask about the tattoo I got today," Rhysand said, his voice turning a steely calm. Dangerous-he was treading dangerous waters, and he seemed to realize it.

"Bullshit. Listen to me real closely, okay? Never call Feyre again. Don't ever talk to her, look at her, and _do not_ try to contact her again!" he yelled as he slammed the phone onto the table.

"Just tell me, is she ok?" Rhys said pleadingly.

"It's none of your concern," Tamlin clipped and ended the call, but something was wrong. Well, more wrong than what happened in the past seconds. He stared at my phone for a few moments, his face red with rage, and my gut twisted.

"Is this him?" he said shoving the phone in my face. I had to move my head to see clearly, but I knew what he was referring to. My stomach dropped at the sight of Rhysand and I smiling on the home screen of my phone. The way his arm was wrapped around me, and the way I was laughing, I could see how it would send the wrong message. He slammed the phone so hard onto the floor the screen cracked and went black. I flinched back, but just ended up slamming my head onto the wall. He braced his hands on the edge of the table, his knuckles white from the death grip. Slowly, his eyes dragged to the letter that was resting on the table on top of all my things. His eyes went back and forth as he read it and I was about to pass out from holding my breath for so long.

"How long have you been hiding this?" his screamed, waving the acceptance letter in front of my face.

"I just got it today," I said.

Before I knew what was coming, I felt a sharp sting on my face and my head whipped to the side. I barely registered the pain as I struggled to comprehend what had just happened. I brought my hand up to my cheek as if I was in a daze. I could barely hear him over the ringing in my ears; I was trying to keep my balance as he said, "you have lied to me too many times," he growled, dangerously calm.

"Tam-" I cried, and I couldn't stop the tears that were flowing freely down my face. Maybe I had been crying all along and I just hadn't noticed it.

"That's enough Feyre!" he came and gripped my face in between his hands, sending sharp pains down the side of my face. "I do not like to share my things," he whispered onto my face.

"I am not your thing! I am not some object you can play with! I am a human being!" I spat out, trying to pull my face out of his grip.

"You are mine and only mine do you hear me?" he said and he forced his lips, hard and cold onto my own. I stood there unmoving, my hands slack by my sides, for a second before I wrenched out of his grip with a sudden burst of adrenaline. I kicked him between the legs, hard enough to send him doubling over in pain.

"I am done Tamlin! Do _you_ hear me? We're done. I'm moving out," and while he was still crouched over I shoved my things into my bag and stormed out of the house.

By the time I was locking my car door, Tamlin was running out of the house. I quickly pulled into reverse, not bothering to check my side mirrors, and went zooming way above the speed limit.

I drove for a few minutes, tears falling down my face, sobs racking my body, when I'd realized I had nowhere to go. I had no one else. But Rhys' words came back to me, and I hoped, I prayed, that he truly meant it. I took a sharp turn, going towards his part of town.

 _I need to get a new cellphone_ , I thought to myself as I laughed a bitter laugh. Of all the things I needed, a cellphone was one of the last on my list.

Tears were still streaming down my face as I pulled up in his endless driveway, but I couldn't make them stop. I swallowed my pride and got out of the car. Before I knew it, I was knocking on the door.

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 **A/N: Well that was a wild chapter to write. I hoped you enjoyed it.**

 **To my amazing reviewers:**

 **Yes! Of course I'll still update. I won't stop until this is finished.**

 **Yes, we will meet the inner circle, but more later. We still need Feyre to sort everything out and having a bunch of people overwhelm her isn't going to do her any good. All in good time, we will see our beloved Court of Dreams, don't worry.**

 **And last but not least, thank you! Btw it is actually two of us who are writing this, but I (Aseelah; tumblr:rowanandaelinareotp) am the one who uploads on this account. We really appreciate all your reviews, they make us want to write more for you.**

 **I hope this fan fiction will meet your expectations.**


	4. The Savior

**Chapter 4-The Savior**

I'd never seen a door open as fast as Rhys' door did. It was as if he'd been waiting there the whole time.

"Feyre?" he breathed, and some distant part of me noticed his voice breaking.

"Ca-Can I come inside?" I asked. Rhys didn't even answer, just silently held the door open and backed away so I could go in. He was still silent as he guided me to his living room.

"Shit, Feyre. What the hell happened? I called you to make sure you were home safe, but a man, claiming to be your boyfriend, answered and was angry as hell. He told me never to contact you again." His back was still turned to me as he went to turn on the lights.

I took a breath and said, "Rhys, I-"

When he turned around and took in the sight of my face, he audibly gasped. I'd forgotten about the state of my face. He came running towards me and in a second gently lifting my chin up with his fingers, so unlike the way Tamlin rough-handled me. He brushed my hair away from the bruise on my cheekbone, and I winced when he barely grazed the tender spot.

"God," he said, his voice shaking with barely controlled anger. "Who did this to you?" he managed to get out.

"I need somewhere to stay. Can I stay here? For a while? Maybe a few days, I promise I'll be out of your way. I need time to find an apart-"

"I don't care how long you stay. You can stay here for the rest of your life if that's what you want. But tell me one thing. Who did this to you?"

I took a shuddering breath and sat down on the ridiculously comfy couch.

"It's late. Maybe you should sleep; I can tell you tomorrow in the morning," I sighed, picking on the hem of my shirt, never meeting his eyes. I already knew the pity I would see in them; it was the same pity I'd seen in my friends' eyes when they found out what was going on. I couldn't stand that pity, so I'd shut my friends out and hadn't spoken to them since.

"I'm never going to be able to sleep again if I don't know what happened to you Feyre. Please." His voice was so so soft, like if he said the wrong thing I would shatter on the ground like glass.

I took a deep breath, "it-it was my boyfriend. He thought I was cheating and things got out of hand. But really, I'm okay-"

"You're not okay, Feyre!" he exclaimed. He saw me flinch back and immediately regret filled his eyes. He crouched in front of me, one hand on my knee and the other on my chin, guiding me to look at him. He held my eyes for a moment before he continued in a softer tone, "Feyre, he can go to jail for this. He had no right to lay a hand on you. How long has this been going on for?"

"I-I don't know," I admitted. "Tonight was the first time he actually laid a hand on me outright," I closed my eyes. _One, two, three-._ "But I think this has been going on for a while, I was just too stupid to see-"

"You are not stupid." He was standing now, both hands running wild through his hair. "We need to go to the police about this. We need to-"

"No." I don't know who it shocked more, me or him. "He's just angry. He thought I was cheating-"

"Feyre, you don't understand the magnitude of what happened! He hit you! No matter what the cause was, he had no right."

"I know. God, Rhys I know," I said softly. "I just don't know how it all happened. Or when it all started!"

"Tell me what happened," he soothed, slowly coming to sit next to me like I was a wild animal, about to dash away.

"I was suppose to meet him around the time you came for your tattoo. Of course, I couldn't just leave you there because my _boyfriend,_ " I spat out the word like it was acid, "wanted me at home. When I started your tattoo, I didn't realize what time it was and there was no way I could have known how long it would take." I paused, fidgeting with my fingers.

"He called me afterwards, you probably heard the whole thing. He was angry that I hadn't called and told him I'd be coming late; he said he was _worried_ about me. When I went home and got my mail, there was a college acceptance letter. He had made me apply so long ago, saying that I would be better off if I had a higher education. I didn't want to tell him while he was mad though, so I hid it in my purse. When he came home he was out of his mind with anger. He was shouting so loud, the neighbors are probably filing their complaints right now. When I tried to explain, he said I was cheating on him. Then my phone rang and it was you. My purse was at the other side of the room, where he was, so he answered and well, you know what he said. He slammed my phone on the floor after he saw my home screen wallpaper. It was us, Rhys-" I broke out in silent tears then.

"It was that picture of us at your sister's birthday. It was bad, Rhysand. God, it looked so bad. He saw the letter of acceptance then too, and then he completely lost it. He-he struck me across the face, but then he went on about some shit about not liking his _things_ being shared. I'd had enough, so I placed a good kick and ran the hell out of there and I ended up here. I'm so sorry," I cried. I finally turned to look at him. His eyes were set in glimmering rage, it seemed to seep out of him.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Feyre," he said in a gentle voice. He and I both glanced down at my hands. Angry marks were lining my wrists, turning a shade of purple, and it was swelling up. "That fucking pig. I can't believe he laid his hands on you," he said shaking his head. If that was the condition of my hands, I can't imagine what my face was looking like.

With heartbreaking gentleness, Rhys slowly brought up my hands softly kissing my wrists. He lowered my hands but didn't let go as he leans his head closer and kissed away my tears, one by one. He pulls his head back and whispers softly, "I'll show you to your room."

He didn't let go of my hand as he brought me up a flight of stairs. One of many. He pointed to the the whole floor, "this is my sister's area." He took me up another flight of stairs, "this is mine." No parents, then, I noted.

"My room is the one at the end of the hall, you can sleep in the one next to mine," he said, leading me there. "I'll give you a moment to freshen up. I'll leave some clothes on the bed." He was already walking away, his hand on the door knob.

"Wait," I said softly, he turned his head, his violet gaze meeting mine. "I'm- I don't want to go back there," I said, hating myself for it, hating myself for letting him get to me like that, for leaving me vulnerable. "What if he's waiting there for me? I need to get my stuff and-"

"I'll come with you. We'll deal with it," he said softly.

I turned and went into the room. I marveled at the pristine black silk sheets and the golden hue the lamps set off. I went into a door to what I assumed was the bathroom, and I prepared myself for what I was about to see. I slowly opened my eyes and I almost vomited at the sight of my face. No wonder Rhys looked like he was about to kill someone.

A thick mark slashed across the side of my face, turning an alarming shade of blue. No one could mistake it for anything other than a hand print. I didn't own any cosmetics other than some concealer, mascara, and maybe some lipgloss and that certainly won't erase the damage that had been done. I'd have to buy some, or ask someone else to buy some for me so I wouldn't go out looking like this.

I splashed some water on my burning face and turned to go back into the room. Neatly folded on my bed was a black cotton t-shirt, and a pair of plaid pajama bottoms. I locked my door and set about changing. The shirt fell nearly to my knees and I had to fold the waistband of the pants several times, and it still would fall. I decided to ditch the pants, the shirt was big enough to be a modest-enough dress.

I found myself at the door of Rhys's room. I knocked softly and whispered, "Rhys?" Immediately the door flew open to reveal a shirtless Rhysand. I forced my eyes up and said, "I just wanted to say goodnight and-thank you. For everything. I don't know how I could repay you-

"You don't have to do anything. Everything I'm doing? I'm doing it because you deserve it. You deserve to be treated like royalty," he said smiling softly. He looked down and was it just me or did he blush? "Didn't I leave you pants?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"They were too big. They kept falling off. I'll be fine," I said and I turned back. "Good night, Rhys."

"Good night, Feyre," he whispered, and after a moment, "Feyre?" I turned around in question. "Maybe you can, I don't know, talk to Amara? She doesn't have a woman to look up to. And for what it's worth, I think you'd be the perfect role model."

"It would be my pleasure," I smiled softly. I frowned at the thought of Rhys taking care of his sister all my himself. He wasn't much older than me. He was practically a father, and I was just another person he had to care for. The realization hit me harder than it should have.

I retreated into my room and closed the door silently. I turned off all the lights and crawled into the huge bed. Every time I closed my eyes, Tamlin's livid face stared back at me. I couldn't get the sound of his hand against my face out of my mind. I rolled over on my side and checked the clock that was on the small table by the bed. I'd been lying awake for hours, and I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. I closed my eyes a final time and tried to think of positive things, a fresh can of paint, painting princesses on Amara and her friends, Rhysand's baby sister, Rhysand's smile, oh this seriously wasn't helping. I didn't even have my phone to entertain myself.

I climbed out of bed and stretched my arms over my head. I paced around the room, but that only brought unwelcoming thoughts into my head. I slowly opened my door, not wanting to be too loud. I contemplated exploring the house, but Rhysand's door seemed to be beckoning me, compelling me towards it. I knew I was toeing a dangerous line, but I couldn't make myself go anywhere else as I tiptoed to the closed door. I stood in front of it for a second, wondering if what I was doing was completely wrong. I forced myself to take several breaths before I reached out and slowly turned the knob. By the time I had the door open enough to walk through, faint light was creeping in and I could see an outline of Rhys, splayed out over the entirety of the bed. He still wasn't wearing a shirt.

I didn't even know what I was doing. Was I going to wake him up? Would I sit by his bed and watch him sleep like some creep like in that one vampire movie? Or was I just going to jump right into bed with him? This was a bad idea. He didn't need another little sister.

I was barely three steps into the room when I turned around and made to go back into the hall. When I reached the door, I heard Rhys say, "Feyre?" His voice was rough and thick from sleep. I turned halfway and saw him sitting upright, wiping at his eyes. If it was possible, his hair was even more wild.

"I didn't mean to wake you up. I couldn't sleep," I said, making to leave.

"Come here," he said softly. I silently shut the door and walked over to his bed, then crawled across the large mattress to where he was sitting. There was still a bit of light in the room, coming from god-knows-where, and I could see him searching my face. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," I said. I tried to give him a convincing nod, but I couldn't stop the tear that crept down my cheek.

Rhys raised his hand to my face and used his thumb to brush the tear to the side. "Feyre," he whispered before he pulled my shoulders to him and wrapped his arms around me; I felt him place a soft kiss on the top of my head. The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was the pressure of Rhys's arms even through the oblivion that tugged at me.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry I posted this a day late. My high school is starting soon and I'm enrolled in a fall sport so practices are driving me insane. I had an extremely long one yesterday and I had pictures today.**

 **I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for all the positive reviews.**

 **We're still not currently sure if we're going to have Nesta or Elain in this. If you want them in it, comment down below and we can try to do something if enough people want it!**


	5. The Morning After

**Chapter 5-The Morning After**

I struggled to open my eyes as they were blinded by bright light. I squinted through my lashes and I felt the unfamiliar silk sheets underneath me. It took a moment for the events of last night to come back to me, rushing back and giving me a huge headache. I let out a groan and I slowly sat up. I quickly turn my head once I remember that this was _Rhys's_ bed, to find him gone, the sheets where he must've slept were cold as if he'd gotten up a while ago. I turned back and looked at the flashing clock to find that it was one in the afternoon.

I heard the soft hum of voices outside my door, one deep one, and one high-pitched. _Rhys and Amara_.

"She's going to be staying with us for a while," Rhys said.

"But why?" Amara said, her natural curiosity taking over.

"Because she has nowhere else to go, and we have plenty of space." Deep shame settled upon me, as I realized the truth of his statement.

"Why does she have nowhere to go? And if we have so much space why is she sleeping in _your_ room?" she replied in that sassy voice of hers. Despite the situation I grinned, I was going to like her.

I frustrated sigh came out of Rhysand as he slowly said, "Amara, please don't question me. Just treat Feyre with respect and don't ask her too many questions, okay?" I could imagine him running a hand through his hair and pinching the bridge of his nose. She must've nodded because soon, I heard soft footsteps skipping away. I saw the doorknob turn and I yawned just as Rhysand came in.

"Oh, good. You're awake," he said in a relieved tone as he settled on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm… fine," I answered as I slowly climbed out of bed. I could feel his eyes on me and I knew he wasn't buying it.

"Oh, okay. Do you want something to eat?" he asked trying to catch my gaze. I refrained from it, because it would only make what I have to do harder. I took a deep breath and counted to three.

"Rhys, I have to tell you something," at that he raised his eyebrows but said nothing. "I don't want to be trouble for you. You already have so much on your shoulders and I don't want to be an unnecessary burden. I don't want you to feel like you _have_ to take care of me. I can go stay somewhere else, find a place-"

"Whoah, whoah, _Feyre_ ," he said waving his arms in front of him, his eyes wide. "I don't feel like I _have_ to do anything. I _want_ to help you, I _care_ about you. You are most definitely _not_ a burden. And you said it yourself last night, you have nowhere else to go. Please, let me do this for you," he pleaded. I finally met his gaze, and damn if it didn't kill me, the beauty of his eyes struck something inside of me, and I couldn't say no. Even if it was selfish of me, I couldn't do this without him.

"Okay," I said softly in defeat. "Thank you," I said as I passed by him. He was still sitting on the edge of the bed as I got off and I silently place a kiss on his cheek before I went back to the room next to his, which would be mine for a while.

Seeing that it was the middle of the day and I was wearing nothing but a borrowed shirt, I decided to change back into my clothes from yesterday. Thankfully, Rhysand equipped this bathroom with a new toothbrush and some soaps for the shower. I hopped into the hot steam and let the hot water melt away my thoughts, if only for a moment. Thirty minutes later, after the luxurious shower and intoxicating soaps, I was clean and ready.

I remembered coming up two flights of stairs so I decided to go back down and grab something to eat. Rhysand was waiting outside my room door, casually leaning against the wall.

"About time you came out," he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"You didn't have to wait up," I insisted, and he just shrugged leading the way. He made no advances to bring up last night. Fine then. I'll pretend as if it never happened.

We descended onto 'Amara's floor.' I saw her playing with a few dolls before she saw Rhysand and her whole face lit up, breaking into a toothy grin.

She ran towards us, not noticing me until she was right before me.

"You were at my birthday party!" she squealed. I laughed softly and nodded.

"Yes, I was. Did you like what I painted on you?" I asked.

"Yes, but Rhys said I had to wash it off at night!" she said with a grumpy face. I gave

Rhys a small shove with my hand.

"Rhys! Why did you do that?" I mock-scolded him, sending Amara into a fit of giggles.

Rhys just shook his head and put a hand to his arm, feigning hurt. I looked back at her innocent face and said, "anytime you want another princess, let me know and I can fix you up, okay?"

"Okay!" she bounced around, obviously excited out of her mind. She stopped jumping and looked at me. "What happened to your face?" Amara asked curiously, gazing up at me. Immediately I stopped smiling and I winced at the memory. _I am not going to cry, I am not going to cry_ , I chanted to myself inwardly.

"Amara!" Rhys scolded.

"It's ok. It's nothing. I just got hurt that's all," I said to Amara, hoping she wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Well be careful next time! Let's go eat Rhys," Amara said dragging Rhys's arm. He followed her, but I noticed the tight-lipped expression he wore.

"Do you mind going out to grab a bite to eat? I'm not terrible in the kitchen, but it would undoubtedly take a while," he asked on our way down the stairs. I had to grip the railing tightly to make sure I wouldn't slip in my socks.

"Okay, but…nevermind," I said, giving him a close lipped smile. I didn't want to sound whiny by mentioning my embarrassment of a face. He noticed my expression immediately and held up a finger.

"Phillipa!" he called into the house. I hadn't thought anyone else lived here. "She's the caretaker," he explained, and a petite woman came rushing out of the kitchen. She seemed to be around her late 30's.

"Do you have any, uh, makeup Feyre could borrow?" Rhysand asked the woman, gesturing to me. She was so short she reached below his chest. She glanced at me and her eyes widened at my bruise, but thankfully she said nothing.

"It'll only be a moment," she claimed motioning me to follow her. I followed her through the maze that was his house, and we turned up to be in a private quarters inside of his house.

"Do you live here?" I asked her in surprise.

"Yes, been living here for years. I've known Rhys since he was a boy," she said. "I'm not going to ask what you've gotten yourself into. I'm going to put some products onto your skin and it'll most likely cover the majority of… it." she said, sympathy softening her eyes.

She began slathering cosmetics onto my face, far more than was necessary. And by that I mean she coated my lips in a pink gloss, and my lashes in black mascara. I looked in the mirror and was surprised to see the bruise covered, but my face did look painted.

"Thank you," I whispered to her and I was surprised when she pulled me into a small hug.

"Anytime, sweetheart. Rhysand told me you'd be staying here a while. Feel free to shout for me," she said, and something told me she meant it literally.

Mercifully, Philippa silently lead me back towards Rhysand who was smiling at something Amara was showing him.

"I'm ready," I said pathetically when they didn't notice me. Both their heads shot towards me and I realized how alike they were. Amara had the same raven hair and violet eyes.

"You look pretty, Feyre," Amara said at last. I smiled at her and I turned to Rhysand who took a bit longer to respond. I got the distinct impression that he was having trouble breathing.

"Oh, right. Let's go," he said, blinking rapidly and breaking the stare he was holding me in as he leaped to his feet and practically ran out the door.

I tugged on my sleeves and brought them lower onto my hands, to make sure my bruises were invisible to the outside eye.

Apparently Rhysand had more than one car, but when driving with his sister he used the biggest car he had. I hopped into the passenger seat after he buckled his sister in the back.

"Can Feyre sit with me on the way back?" Amara asked Rhysand. Rhysand glanced at me with a small smile and said, "ask her yourself." Amara turned to me with those pleading eyes and of course, I couldn't say no.

We drove in silence for the majority of the ride, Amara singing softly to herself. I could feel Rhys sneaking glances at me out of the corner of his eye every few minutes, but I didn't say anything.

We stopped at a pizzeria a few minutes from his house, but I couldn't bring myself to eat. Only when Rhysand forced me to is when I did. Amara scarfed down her pizza while swinging her legs and talking about how some boy at school said he liked her.

"You know you're not allowed to have a boyfriend right?" Rhys asked her, raising an eyebrow.

She sighed louder than I thought possible and said, "can Feyre have a boyfriend?" I could feel my face turning bright red. I looked away, my last boyfriend hadn't gone so well, had it?

"Feyre can have whatever she wants," Rhys told her before smiling at me reassuringly.

"What about you? Can you have a boyfriend?" She asked Rhys as I turned my head to him and raised my eyebrows, a smile playing on my lips. I couldn't wait to see how he would handle this one.

He only cleared his throat and said, "Amara, if I wanted a boyfriend I would have a boyfriend, but I'd much rather pretty girls."

Her eyes lit up and she looked at me before she leaned closer to Rhys and whispered, "Feyre's a pretty girl."

He flashed his eyes to me then turned back at her and said, "yes she is," before they both returned to their pizza. I could feel the blush on my face for the rest of the meal.

"I'm going to take you to get a new phone," Rhysand declared after we got back into the car. I glanced at him from the backseat, a deal was a deal.

"You don't have to," I insisted, but he was already pulling into the nearest phone store. He was feeding me details about the latest technology, but I couldn't care less about what phone I got. But I still listened to him, Rhysand could talk about biology and I'd still listen to what he had to say.

I ended up buying one of the newest phones, and now it was a fight over who got to pay.

"Let me do it. I suggested it in the first place!" he exclaimed, earning looks from the customers around us.

"For gods sake, Rhysand, it's my phone!" I was too busy facing him to see him slide his credit card over to the cashier. The phone and the contract cost hundreds!

"It's already done," he smirked at me and he beheld the new phone in his hand. You can pay for the case, if that makes you feel any better, but I got one just in case." He still had that amused smile on his face.

"Rhysand! One day…" I promised him and he raised his hands backing off. I rolled my eyes and took my new phone back, slipping on the case as well.

"One day what?" he said, getting very very close to me. He had a mischievous look in his eyes. Two can play that game.

"I guess you'll have to wait and see," I chirped as I slid around him and grabbed Amara's hand, "come on Amara." I turned around to see Rhys laughing softly and I gave him a wink before walking out the door and to the car. Once I strapped Amara in and closed her door, I turned to see Rhysand was already holding my door open; he was looking at me so intently that I couldn't help but smile as I thanked him and lowered myself into the car, blushing furiously.

Once Rhys got in the car and started the ignition, I realized with a jolt that there was no way Amara could come to my house with us. What if Tamlin was there? That was definitely not a safe environment for a child.

I met Rhys's eyes and nodded my head to Amara, but he just chuckled at me and said, "hey Amara, Feyre and I have some stuff to do, so we're gonna drop you off at your friend's house. I already called Mrs. Amren and she said it's okay if you go over."

Amara squealed and said, "yaaaayy!" I couldn't help but laugh at her, she was always so excited about the smallest things.

After a while of Amara's soft singing, we arrived at a house that was almost as large as Rhys's. There was a little girl playing in front and a slim woman with short black hair standing in the driveway. When we pulled up, Rhysand said to me, "you can stay here if you like. I'll only be a minute." I nodded and he got out of the car and led Amara by the hand to her friend before going talk to who I assumed was Mrs. Amren.

I watched him for a minute while he spoke, studying the sharp line of his jaw and the curve of his lips. He had his hands in his pockets and was standing with his hip subtly cocked to the side. He looked so natural-as natural as you could be when you looked like _that_. I wondered if he ever considered modeling. Before I could think more about how attractive he was, he was striding back to the car, whistling some sort of tune.

"Okay," he said when he got in the car, "we're going to head to the police station and file a report, then we're going to go to your house and collect your things. If that's okay with you," he added, looking to me for approval. For a second it was hard for me to breath. We were actually doing this, today was just a dream for me, until now. Doing this meant accepting everything that happened.

"That's fine," I breathed and leaned my head back on the seat and placed my arm on the center console.

I felt Rhys's fingers clasp around mine and I looked at him as he said, "Feyre, I'm going to be with you the whole time."

I nodded silently and he turned the car on then backed out of the driveway. He didn't let go of my hand once, constantly tracing small circles on the skin between my thumb and forefinger. I focused on the feel of his fingers on mine, and nothing else. I didn't think of what was going to happen, or what Tamlin would've thought about this. For once, I didn't think about one thing. Rhys was the only comfort I had right now, he was the only thing that was _stable_. So I didn't let go either.

* * *

 **A/N: So apparently you guys do want the sisters to be in the fic. We've already written up to 10 chapters of the fic already but we'll make sure to add them in if that's what you want.**

 **Thank you for all the amazing reviews! We really appreciate every single one of them. I hope you enjoyed this chapter it was super fun to write and longer than most.**

 **See you (kinda) on Friday!**


	6. The Report

**Chapter 6-The Report**

Time seemed to drag on eternally as we made our way to the local police department. I tried not to panic at the sight of the police cars that filled the parking lot, and I reminded myself that I had done nothing wrong.

I reluctantly let go of Rhysand's hand as we got out of the car, but remained close enough that our shoulders brushed as we walked. When I started breathing improperly, he placed a hand on the small of my back and gave me a reassuring look before we pushed through the doors.

At the front desk, there was a young man with shoulder length auburn hair. He was handsome, but he had a brutal scar that ran down the side of his face. He was busy looking at the files to notice us as we stopped in front of the desk. I drummed my fingers along the surface and glanced at the bell that was on top of it. I decided not to be rude and ring the bell, although I wanted to, so I cleared my throat and he finally looked up.

"How may I help you?" he asked, a faint accent coating his voice.

"I-" suddenly I felt my throat closing and I couldn't speak. I grabbed the thing closest to me which conveniently happened to be Rhys's hand. Thankfully, he grabbed a hold of it.

"We'd like to file a report on domestic violence," Rhys took over and he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

The man pulled out a paper and said, "victim's name?"

"Feyre Archeron," he answered for me. He shot me a worried glance as I was just staring at the paper and clutching his hand for dear life.

"Assailant's name?" he continued in a monotone voice.

Rhys continued answering questions as I tuned out, looking around the lobby at the plaques and paintings on the walls.

I finally snapped back to reality when the red-haired man cleared his throat pointedly at me, obviously impatient. I saw Rhys sit up straighter and throw a glare in the man's direction, warning him not to overstep his boundaries.

"I'm sorry?" I hadn't been paying enough attention to know the question he'd asked.

"How long has this possessive behavior been going on?" he repeated.

"Oh," I thought for a second, "about three months." I felt Rhys's hand go slack in mine and his barely perceptible flinch beside me. I felt my eyes grow wide as well. I never really thought about how long it was going on. It was as if my body knew before my mind did.

"Okay miss, it'll be just a minute. You two can wait in the lobby for the time being," he said as he disappeared into a door behind him.

Rhys and I silently sat in chairs beside each other. I sat with my legs crossed and stared at my hands in my lap. I felt Rhys place his hand on my knee and when I looked up at him, he gave it a squeeze and then moved it so his fingers were once again laced with mine.

"Three months?" he whispered, his lips tight. I looked at his eyes for a second and saw that they were filled with anger, but it quickly was replaced with worry.

I gave him a small nod, but didn't say anything. I'd already had enough questions thrown my way.

Moments later the officer came back with another one behind him. By the looks on their faces and the size of the file they carried, I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant.

I stood up as the reached me and Rhysand did the same. I braced myself for what they were about to say.

"Well Miss Archeron, it seems that this isn't the first complaint about your assailant. Would you like to come to my office so I can explain further?" The cop nodded to an open door that I assumed was his office.

"Yes sir," I said and Rhys and I followed him through the door. We each sat in chairs across from the officer, separated by a large wooden desk.

He started skimming the files before he said, "how long had you been with the assailant before he started showing abusive behavior?"

"About a month and a half. We got together in May, and he started acting crazy in June," I answered, suddenly able to think clearly.

"Okay, well the first charge we have against him, another domestic violence charge, was in early November of last year. I remember that one very well, a woman came in crying hysterically. She had cuts all over her forearm; said he swung a beer bottle for her head but she blocked it and managed to get away and hide before she could get too seriously hurt."

My heart stopped...this had happened before? How had I never known? A few months ago, I would've been jealous of the women he dated, and now… I felt nothing but sick at the thought that I'd fallen into his trap.

He continued, "then another one around January, an assault charge. I wasn't on duty that day, but some of the other officers told me about it. A different woman came in with a busted lip and a really messed up nose, he'd punched her square in the face and she hadn't had time to duck or block it. We sent her to a doctor and got the report back that her nose was practically shattered."

I was shaking at this point. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them.

The man kept going, "the third, another assault charge, was in March. Same woman who had the broken nose-"

"Enough. Can't you see what this is doing to her?" Rhysand seethed from his seat. The officer looked up at me as if he was shocked that I was even affected by all of this.

"How old are you, Ms. Acheron?" he asked with surprising gentleness.

"Nineteen," I breathed out.

He raised his eyebrows and said, "Tamlin's quite older than you, is he not?"

"By about three years," I said, not understanding the look the officers exchanged.

"No miss, by our records," he looked at his papers again, "Tamlin just turned 34."

I sat there, shock clearly displayed on my face. I saw Rhysand go utterly still beside me. He was about 15 years older than me. How could I not have noticed?

"I'm really sorry miss," the officer said. I was still sitting there, dumbstruck. How could I have been so stupid?

"File the report and put him in jail," Rhysand spat at the man, "we're leaving." I was in such a daze that I didn't even say anything as he took my hand and led me back through the lobby and to the car.

"Wait!" the red-haired officer called. Rhysand turned around. "Ms. Archeron, there is a possibility we can put this man away, but in doing so there'll be a trial. You'll be asked to appear in front of a judge as a witness along with the women who filed reports before."

I looked down at my bruised wrists, and that was all I had to see before I said, "I'll be there. I'll do anything I can to see him locked up and put away." I could feel Rhys's shock at my sudden determination. The man just nodded quickly and rambled something off about sending the details to Rhys's house.

I didn't want to be there a second longer, so when the officer said the last thing needed to be said, I practically dragged Rhys back to the car.

I got into the car, waiting for Rhys to do the same. He sat in the seat for a moment, staring at his hands.

"What you did, what you said, it took a lot of courage. I'll be by your side no matter what decision you make," he said. My heart swelled at his words.

"Tamlin gets off of work at 6. We still have a few hours to go and pack my stuff," I said. _I wouldn't be the scared little girl anymore, I wouldn't._ I thought to myself. When had I become so weak? I remembered my sister Nesta, and her steely demeanor and I tried to coat myself in that armor.

"Where do you live?" Rhys asked as he pulled out of the parking lot. I told him the address and he said he knew the place. I looked at him in surprise, what would someone like him be doing in that part of town?

It was only a 10 minute drive from the police station to my house, a 10 minute drive that was filled with silence. I lasted about four before my mind drifted back to what the officer said. My breathing became ragged and I grabbed Rhys's hand before I could start crying. He didn't say anything, just smiled and traced circles, soothing me back to normalcy.

When we arrived at the house I quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open. My hand flew to my mouth when I took in the state of the house. The dining room chairs were in pieces all over the floor, there was a fist-sized hole in the wall, and plates were shattered throughout the kitchen.

"Oh my god," I whispered, tears filling my eyes once again. Rhys just put a guiding hand on my back and I walked through the mess to my room, each step made glass crunch underneath our feet. Fortunately, my room had been left untouched. I went to the closet and pulled out my suitcases; all of my stuff should fit in two. Rhysand quietly set to work, placing the things from my drawers into a suitcase.

I went into the closet and was in the middle of taking things off of hangers when I heard Rhys call, "hey Feyre, can you come see?" I could hear the amusement in his voice, and how he was struggling to reign in his laughter. Oh no.

I walked out of the closet and saw Rhys standing with one of my extremely tiny lacy bras hanging off of his finger. I covered my mouth with mortification.

"What is this?" he asked incredulously. There was an ever-growing smile on his face and I couldn't help but burst out in laughter as I walked up to him and snatched it out of his hand.

"Put those in the 'yes' pile" he said smirking at me. I smacked him on the shoulder and threw it into my suitcase.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" I shot at him. He raised an eyebrow and chuckled before turning back to his work. I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at his back then went back into the closet and came back out with a pile of clothes bigger than me.

I threw them on the bed and reached to start folding when Rhys said, "let me," and started neatly folding my clothes and placing them in the suitcase. I took it he was done rifling through my drawers. I sat on the side of the bed and watched him work until I noticed something on the nightstand. I turned to look and sighed when I saw the picture.

It was Tamlin and I, a few weeks into our relationship. He'd taken me to the waterpark and insisted I take a picture with him because he thought I looked good. I stood up and took the picture in both hands, staring down at it.

I didn't notice Rhys coming up behind me until he placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "Feyre-"

I threw the picture to the ground, not stopping to watch it shatter before I turned around and wrapped my arms around Rhys's torso, burying my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and I could feel his steady, but quick, heartbeat against my face. After a while he started stroking my hair and whispering soothing words and I hadn't noticed I was crying until then.

I lost track of how long we stayed that way, neither one of us really wanting to let go. It was one of those moments you could live in forever, one of those moments that change things between you and another.

I heard the familiar turn of the lock then heavy footsteps following. I jerked out of Rhysand's embrace and stared at him in horror. To my surprise, he didn't look scared. His face was set in a kind of calm that sent shivers down my spine. I counted the seconds until the footsteps stopped, each second sending my heart beating faster. I didn't turn to look at the body that had stopped outside of the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?" a slurred voice snapped from the doorway. I closed my eyes and tried to calm my breaths.

"Last time I checked, I still lived here," I snapped back, still refusing to look at him.

"You little bitch. Do you see what you've done to me?" he said. I could tell he was drunk out of his mind.

"Don't you dare," Rhysand snarled. "Don't you even think about talking to her in that tone." His hands were clenched into tight fists by his side, shaking with fury.

"Well, well, I see you've bought your boyfriend here too. Tell me, what can he do for you that I can't?"

"Tamlin don't get me started," I said, facing him now. "You lied to me. Your birthday just passed right? How was your 34th?" I said staring him in the eye. That seemed to make him falter.

"You little fucking bitch," he said, stalking towards me with a death glare. Rhysand stepped in front of me and stared Tamlin down.

"Don't even try it," he seethed. Tamlin tried to swat him out of the way, but Rhysand caught his arm and shoved Tamlin back, hard enough Tamlin actually stumbled back a few steps. "If you want a fight, I can fight. But I can promise you one thing, Feyre and I will be walking out of this house, and you will be dead before you lay another hand on her or anyone else." Tamlin didn't say a word, just stared straight ahead. I could have swore I saw smoke coming out of his ears.

Rhys grabbed both my suitcases and made no effort to make room as he rolled them over Tamlin's feet, then he proceeded to walk around him as if he were nothing more than a piece of furniture.

"Come on, Feyre. It's time to go," Rhys said, looking back to make sure Tamlin stayed far away.

"This is far from over, Tamlin. You'll get what's coming for you," I said, not bothering to tell him that the cops could show up any minute. He'd probably forget this whole encounter by morning. I strolled up to Rhysand, daring Tamlin to lay a finger on me as I passed by him, thankfully he didn't.

I let out a whoosh of breath I hadn't realized I had been holding as I hauled one of the suitcases up in Rhysand's trunk.

Rhys came up beside me with the other and whispered, "please get in the car, Feyre."

I obliged as he put the second suitcase and closed the trunk. When he drove away, I didn't look to see if Tamlin was standing in the doorway, which he undoubtedly was. I just looked at Rhys, wondering what I did to deserve what he'd been doing for me. After a minute, he looked at me with a smirk and a wink then grabbed my hand and pulled it up to kiss the back of it.

"Thank you, Rhys," I said, forever grateful for him.

"Anything for you," he said. By his tone, I got the impression that if I asked for the moon on a string, he'd find a way to get it for me. He turned over my hand and traced the pattern of my tattoo with his thumb, "I never saw this before," he murmured.

"Because you never looked," I teased back with a small smile. He gazed down at the intricate patterns that adorned the palm of my hand.

"Feyre, promise me, if I ever get another tattoo, you're going to be the one to do it," he said. I looked at him and smiled.

"You already know you don't even have to ask. But if you ever change your mind, I'm sure Marissa would love to get her hands on you," I smirked at her helpless flirting skills.

"Um, Rhys?" I asked as I noticed the route we were taking.

"Hmm?" he replied distractedly.

"Your sister," I said, and that jarred him out of whatever thoughts were plaguing his mind. He made a sharp turn and went the direction opposite of where we had been headed.

We arrived at Mrs. Amren's house and after a few minutes of protest, Amara finally gave her friend a heartbreaking good-bye and hopped in the car. She acted as if she'd never see her again.

"You're still here!" Amara exclaimed as she saw me.

"You're not getting rid of me that fast," I laughed at the pure delight on her face.

* * *

 **A/N: I know this is posted a day late and I'm super super sorry. I've had a lot on my plate and I will try to be on time every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.**

 **Someone asked me if I had 10 of my chapters already done why can't I post them all at once? I want to space out the times we post because as you can tell it's already hard posting on the designated days so if I post all of them at once it will be hard to post a chapter every single day because I have not written it yet. It also has to do with conflicting schedules. My school is starting in a few days and my friend who is writing this with me has already started school.**

 **Does any of that^ make any sense? Anyways after this fan fiction we have another one that will be coming out! Don't worry this one is not over yet, but the other fan fiction is for our Throne of Glass fans. (Rowelin) No this is not taking out time from this fan fiction I started this at the same exact time but decided to post this one first.**

 **Once again I am sorry about posting this late, but it is a longer chapter so I hope that makes up for it.**

 **Thank you for all your support and amazing reviews! You are the reason why we keep writing.**

 **You see we've added Lucien, so maybe Feyre's sisters will be in here as well. The inner circle will be here in a few chapters!**

 **Does anybody even read these? If you do then thank you.**


	7. The Kiss

**Chapter 7-The Kiss**

"So what did you guys go do?" Amara asked on the ride back to Rhysand's house. I looked at Rhys and nodded, saying I could take this one.

"We went pick up my stuff," I told her, turning around in the seat to face her.

"Does that mean you're going to stay with us for a long time?," she squealed, bringing her fists up to her mouth in excitement.

"Would you like me to?" I asked her. She just nodded her head frantically. "Well, if it's okay with your brother, I guess-"

"Rhys, can she stay with us forever? Please, please, pleeeeaaaasseee!" she begged. I held my breath for a moment, suddenly anxious of what his answer would be. I still wasn't sure if I was fully welcome. I barged into his life and I barely knew him. Granted, it felt like I've known his for ages but it doesn't change the fact that I had met him not long ago.

He looked at me and said, "I'd like that very much. Feyre, would you like to stay with us forever?" _Yes_ , I wanted to say. _Of course I'll stay with you forever_.

I looked back at Amara's ecstatic face then to Rhysand, who was looking at me with the most intent gaze. I tried not to show the effect of what his eyes did to me.

Instead I said, "forever is a long time, isn't it?" to Amara, not sure exactly how to respond when someone asks you to stay with them forever. "I'm sure you'll want me gone after a few days," I tried to joke. I glanced at Rhysand and he looked disappointed, a small frown tilted his lips. I found myself looking at his lips longer than necessary. I hid the blush rising on my cheeks behind my hair as Rhys was oblivious to my inner turmoil.

"No, no, no. It'll be fun. We can play dolls and you can teach me how to paint. Then when I'm good, I can paint princesses on your face. If you stay forever, you can be my best friend," she looked down at her hands then glanced at me from under her eyelashes. "If you stay, I'll let you sleep in Rhys's room," she mumbled as if it were a hard thing to give up. My eyes widened as she said this. Sneaky little thing. Rhys glanced at me from the corner of my eye and smirked, and god, other than the fact that I was practically homeless and had nowhere else to go, that look would've made me say yes a million times.

I laughed a bit and said, "well how could I say no to that? Yes, Amara, I'd love to stay forever." I looked at Rhys and he was beaming. He was smiling so hard I could see the dimples in his cheeks that I'd never noticed before. Some part of me wanted to go and touch them, but then the rational part of me told me that was a stupid idea.

"So that's what sold it to you? Sleeping in my bed," he said with another smirk. I flushed and tried to conceal the flutters in my stomach.

I winked at him and turned to Amara, "so what do you want do you want to learn how to paint first?" From the corner of my eye I could see Rhys looking at me, a smile on his lips.

She practically squeaked, "Elsa, Elsa, Elsa!"

"Perfect," I said, and sat back down in my seat. Rhys held my hand for the rest of the drive, clutching it like it was a lifeline and he was about to drown. What surprised me was that I let him.

When we drove up at the house, Rhys told Amara, "why don't you go inside, Feyre and I have to talk about something."

"Okay," she chirped then jumped out of the car and ran into the house.

Rhys and I walked to the trunk and he took my bags out before saying, "she already loves you." He was shaking his head in disbelief and smiling at me like I was the greatest thing in the world. If I looked in a mirror, that would probably be the smile on my face every time I looked at him.

"She loves everything," I said, shrugging my shoulders. I tried to look away from his gaze, but his eyes pinned me in place. Oh, those _eyes._

"True, but she thinks _you_ are very special," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. I sucked in a sharp breath, heat rising to my face, as it did every time he touched me.

"She does?" I wrapped my arms around his neck. I had the feeling he wasn't talking about Amara anymore. I tried not to notice the way his eyes darkened, or the way he tightened his hold on me, but I became hyperaware of every inch of me he was touching. I couldn't focus on anything _but_ that. That and the hard line of the jaw as he clenched it, or the defined face, or the sweep of the lashes that hooded his beautiful violet eyes, or the sensuous curves of his mouths as he talked.

"She thinks you are the most gorgeous thing in the world," he said. "She thinks you are brave, and smart, and everything she's ever wanted."

"Really?" I asked, my voice was shaking. He seemed to be getting closer and closer; I couldn't form coherent thoughts, let alone get out more than a word. "And what about you, what do you think?" I finally managed to say. I held my breath as he paused for a moment. I could feel his uneven breath on my face as he spoke. The breath was hot against my face, which was a feat in itself considering my face was scorching under his scrutiny.

"I think that I am completely, hopelessly in love with you, Feyre," he breathed out. I sucked in a small gasp. And I wondered if love was too weak a word for what he felt, what he'd done for me. For what I felt for him.

He was still getting closer, so slowly. I tried to say something back, I tried to tell him what my heart had been telling me all along, _I think I'm in love with you too,_ but the minute I opened my mouth, he was kissing me.

His lips were warm and soft and for a brief moment it felt like I could melt into him. His arms tightened around me and I felt his smile tugging at his lips. I laced my fingers through his hair, pulling him closer until my back was pressed against the car and there was no space between us. The kiss was deep, like he'd been waiting for this from the moment he met me, like he was saving everything for this moment. Everything else in the world fell away until it was just me and him, forever. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged somewhere. I belonged here, with Rhysand. I promised myself that I wasn't going anywhere for a long, long while.

I heard Amara squeal in excitement and Rhys pulled away, pupils blown out and lips swollen. "We'll finish that later," he purred in my ear, smirking at my reddening cheeks. I smoothed down his hair and kissed him once more before grabbing one of my suitcases and heading inside. I winked at Amara when I passed by her and she followed me through the house and to Rhys's room.

When Rhys came in with the second bag, Amara told him, "why don't you go downstairs, Feyre and I have to talk about something." He raised his eyebrows at the way she used his own words against him, but obeyed walked out the door with an amused glance my way.

"Is something wrong?" I asked Amara sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Everything's great!" she exclaimed clapping her hands together. She came to sit beside me, taking her time to hoist herself onto the mattress. "Can you be Rhys's girlfriend now?" she asked me and I widened my eyes and stuttered. I looked into those familiar violet eyes, the same eyes that I fell in love with.

"What? Why?" I asked incredulously.

"Because the boys at school say they like me and I don't really believe them. But I can tell that Rhys likes you," she said, wringing her hands.

"What makes you say that?" I ask with a small smirk.

"You were just kissing, duh!" she said like I was dumb. I couldn't help it, I burst out in laughter, cackling fits.

"That's all?"

"Well, Rhys always talks about you. He also calls you pretty. He's never sad when you are around, he's always smiling. Before you came to my party, Rhys was always sad, he never smiled," she said, her little eyes filling with tears. I frowned at the thought. What made Rhys so sad that even his little sister noticed? I decided not to ask.

"Well, I think I want to be Rhys's girlfriend," I whispered in her ear. Her eyes lit up.

"Really?" she exclaimed.

"Yep, why don't you go ask him and see what he says," I told her, laughing a bit. She barreled out the door without another word.

I walked down the stairs and heard Amara saying matter-of-factly, "I know you like her, she can be your girlfriend now. She likes you too, she told me" she whispered loudly.

He was crouched down in front of her, one arm on a chair and the other hand on her shoulder. He was smiling so hard it looked like it hurt.

When he saw me, he stood up and walked towards me. "What do you say, Feyre?" he asked, pushing my hair behind my ear, "Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

I leaned to the side to look at Amara, who was nodding uncontrollably, and stood to face Rhys again, who had suddenly gone serious. I observed him once more and I don't think I'd ever get tired of doing it. His features were so elegant, so beautiful. "I'd like that very much," I said. His face lit up and my arms went to his neck as he snaked his own around me, picking me up and spinning around once, before he placed me back on the ground and just smiled at me. It took me a long while to realize that Rhysand, whether he knew it or not, had effectively kept me from shattering completely.

"Amara, it's late. I think you should go to bed," he said, not taking his eyes off of me.

"But Rhys, I'm not even tired!" she whined.

He tore his eyes away from mine and looked at her with a look that had obviously been used before, because she crossed her arms and stomped up the stairs.

I turned from watching Amara to see Rhys staring at me, staring into me. As if it required minimal effort, he scooped me up, bridal style, and carried me up the two flights of stairs and into his bedroom gently laying me down on the mattress. His eyes were hungry as they bore into mine. I felt the bed shift as he crawled in from the side. His mouth found mine and we were one again. His hands moved gently up and down my legs, my sides.

I don't know how long we stayed awake, taking our sweet time with each other. I do know that I barely got a wink of sleep before the sun rose, blinding me even with my eyes closed.

I braced myself and opened one eye, looking around the room. I didn't get much of a chance to look around because the minute my eyes were open, they were drawn to Rhys beside me.

He was laying on his back, one arm slung over his torso and holding my hand. I seemed to be using the other arm as a pillow, resting my head on his shoulder. I peeked over him at the clock and it read 11:29 am; We'd slept all day. I tilted my head up to look at Rhys only to find his violet eyes smiling back at me.

He let go of my hand to brush my hair out of my eyes and I raised my hand to his cheek. "I never knew you had dimples," I said, running a finger over the subtle indent in his cheek.

"Because you never looked," he said, shooting back the words I had said the day before. I dropped my hand to his chest and gave him a mock-glare. He only laughed and took my hand in his again, closing his eyes.

"Rhys," I said, scooting up to place a kiss on both of his dimples.

"Hmm?" He was peeking at me through one eye, his mouth sliding into a smile.

"It's almost noon, we should get up," I said, twirling one of the dark locks of hair that had been hanging in his face.

"I'd much rather stay like this for all eternity, but if you absolutely insist," he drawled, still not moving. I just laughed and sat up slowly, aching from the lack of sleep.

"I'm going to take a shower," I told him before striding into his bathroom. He gave me a look that said, "I can join if you want,' and I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at him like the mature adult I was.

"I'll cook something," he called.

While I was getting dressed after my shower, I noticed a small picture tucked in the side of the mirror. I got closer to see it better; it seemed to be from a photo booth, but it wasn't a strip of pictures, just one. There was a raven haired woman with the prettiest smile I'd ever seen beside a man that I thought was Rhys at first. But this man had a bit of facial hair and brown hair; he had Rhys's violet eyes. Between them were two kids between them: a much younger version of Rhys, and a baby that I couldn't peg as anyone but Amara.

This must have been years, had they gone that long without parents? Tears filled my eyes and I heard a small knock on the door.

"Feyre," he said softly.

"Come in," I said to the mirror. I couldn't take my eyes off of the picture, wondering what happened and what they did to deserve what happened.

"They died three years ago." I hadn't even noticed he was standing beside me until he spoke up, "Amara was two and I was eighteen when they got in the accident. I wasn't in the car with them but Amara was; the scar on her forehead is from that day. They both died in the hospital a few hours later and Phillipa took care of us until I was old enough to really fend for myself. Still, she stays and helps with Amara." I could hear the love he had for his parents as he talked, how, by his trembling voice, how close he was to tears.

I turned to look at him. He had his hands in his pockets and his head was bowed, staring at his feet. I didn't want to press him, but I needed him to know that I cared enough to ask.

"Where are the other pictures?" I asked, not sure I was ready for the answer.

He all but whispered, "one is in Amara's bathroom. The second is in my mother's casket and the third is in my father's." I could hear the unmistakable sorrow in his voice as he said the words.

I couldn't help myself, I turned on my heel and slammed into him, crushing him in a hug so tight that I thought he might pass out from lack of oxygen. He held me close, and I struggled to find comforting words. What would I have wanted someone to say to me? Well, that's the thing. There's never really anything to say.

"I'm so sorry, Rhys," I told him. He placed his chin on the top of my head and I could feel his jaw moving as he spoke.

"There's no reason for you to be sorry, it's not your fault," he said, trying to pull back far enough to look at me. I just held tight, refusing to let go.

"You didn't deserve it. God, you didn't deserve it," I might have been silently crying or sobbing uncontrollably, but I didn't know because all I could think about was how much he didn't deserve this. "I don't deserve you," I said. I knew I was sobbing now, soaking his shirt in my tears.

"Feyre, don't ever say that. And don't, for one minute, believe it. You deserve more than me; you deserve all the good this wretched world has to offer. I love you and that's all I'll ever need to know."

I was looking into his violet eyes as I said, "I love you too, Rhys." I felt like I could breath again by saying those words.

"Come on," he said, flicking my nose, "let's go eat." I wiped my face and followed him downstairs. My body felt cold without his warmth encircling me.

Amara was sitting at the island with two dolls in hand and when she saw me, she jumped up and caught me in a hug.

"Good Morning Feyre," she chirped. "Can you teach me how to paint Elsa after lunch?" She tilted her face down and looked at me from under lowered brows while poking her bottom lip out, I swear, these two will be the death of me.

"Absolutely," I said as Rhys came up beside me with two plates, setting one in front of me and placing his in the spot next to mine. The entire time we ate, Amara explained what dress she wanted Elsa to wear and how her hair should be fixed. When we finished, she was practically hauling me to her room, leaving a chuckling Rhys in the kitchen.

For about three hours, I explained to her how to paint and where to slide the brush. When we'd finished, I had to blink a few times at her painting; she was a natural, much better than I'd been at that age.

"That's very very good, Amara," I told her, smoothing over her hair.

"Can I hang it up on my wall now?" she begged.

"How about I take it to dry so it doesn't get messed up and then we can hang it?" I suggested.

She squeaked something that sounded like an okay and a thanks Feyre then ran out the door. I turned to see Rhys leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, picking up the brushes and putting them in a cup of water.

"The entire time," he said as he held out his hand for the brushes. He took the cup, kissed my forehead and without another word, walked out the door. I finished picking up the rest of the paints, put them away, and descended the stairs.

I found Rhys standing over the kitchen sink, cleaning one of the brushes under the steady stream of water coming out of the faucet. He didn't notice me walking up behind him until my arms were wrapped around his middle and my face was pressed into his back. He wordlessly finished up the last of the brushes and twisted around in my grip until I was glued to his chest. I could feel the thumping of his heart on my face and I stayed like that for a moment, letting this moment sink in.

"Have I told you that you might just be the most amazing thing in the world?" he asked.

"I think you've mentioned it once or twice," I laughed and breathed him in. "Do you have any pets, Rhys?" I asked him out of curiosity. He had such a big house with only two people, well now three people, to share it with.

"No," he sighed. "Amara wanted a cat, but I never really agreed to it. I mean, who's going to train it?" he asked tiredly, as if he's had this argument before.

"Cats barely need training, you just need to put the litter boxes where they're mostly visible and they'll do the rest," I pointed out, pulling back to look into his eyes.

"We'll go get one then," he murmured. I laughed and shook my head.

"I'm going to go check the mail," I whispered. Understanding flashed in his eyes and he nodded.

"I'll come too," he replied with a quick kiss.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi guys, so we've been really busy lately and I'm not the usual person who posts these but I wanted to thank you guys for all the love and support! My friend, who usually posts on this website, has just started school and is working hard to get used to the drastic change in schedule.**

 **Hope you guys can forgive us for the inconsistency, maybe this chapter can make up for it. ;)**

 **Thanks for all your feedback and make sure to leave your thoughts or critiques in the reviews, your input is valued and extremely appreciated. We absolutely love hearing what our readers think of our writing and want in the upcoming chapters. We have written up to chapter 10 so if there is a specific request you have for the story or just something that you'd want to see, let us know and we'll see what we can do.**

 **Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Sending infinite love your way!**


	8. The Date(s)

**Chapter 8-The Date(s)**

I ripped open the envelope from the police department. I quickly read over the contents, Rhysand silently hovering over my shoulder.

Dread filled my stomach, and it must've shown on my face because Rhysand asked, "what? What is it?" Worry was laced in his voice.

I quietly handed him the letter, and he read it quicker than I did. He cursed loudly. "September 1st? That's only a three weeks away."

I nodded, still silent. It was also the day before I started college.

I walked back up the long driveway, hauling my useless legs up. God, I needed to workout more.

Rhysand reached the door before I did, holding it open.

"What do I do? Do I have to meet some sort of lawyer or something?" I asked, finally speaking. He met my gaze and held it for a while before he sighed.

"Yeah, you do. They'll probably contact you, you just have to wait a while." I nodded. A few weeks felt like a short amount of time, but then I thought about it another way. For the few weeks Tamlin was out, he could do what he did to me to countless other women, or worse. Suddenly, a few weeks felt a whole lot longer.

"Hey," Rhysand said softly, using his fingers to tilt my face so that I was looking him in the eyes. "I never took you out on a real date," he said with a smile.

I tried my hardest to smile back, but I couldn't bring myself to.

"How about I take you to an extremely fancy dinner tonight?" I could tell what he was doing, and I appreciated it.

"Rhys, you really don't have to," I said. I'd never been to a fancy restaurant, let alone on a date.

"Then it's a good thing I want to," he smirked. "Please let me do this, Feyre."

I gave him a small smile, grateful for everything that he was doing for me. "Okay," I sighed.

"Great, now if you'll follow me," he said, grabbing my hand and leading me up the stairs.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Oh you'll see," he replied with smirk. He led me up the stairs and to his bedroom then gestured to the bed and said, "sit here for a moment please." I was lowering myself onto the bed when he added, "and cover your eyes."

I did as he said, making sure I couldn't see through the cracks of my fingers. I could hear his footsteps going into the closet, then the soft ruffle of clothes.

He walked out and said, "okay, open."

I opened my eyes to see Rhys standing with a huge gift bag in his hand with a mischievous smile plastered on his face.

"Rhys!" I ran to hug him and he handed me the bag.

"Only on two conditions. One, you can't open it in front of me and two, you have to wear every piece in there." I gave him a curious look and he just chuckled, "I'll give you as long as you need to get dressed, and I'll be ready to go when you are." And with that, he walked out of the room and shut the door.

I placed the bag on the bed and began taking out the tissue paper until I saw it and nearly squealed. Neatly folded was a night black sleeveless dress, which looked to be skin tight and full length. When I pulled it out and held it in front of me, I observed the solid black plunging material, then the sheer see-through fabric around the neck line. There was no way I was going to be able to wear a bra with this.

With further inspection, I noticed the wide open back that would barely cover my butt. Rhys did have good taste, the dress was gorgeous.

I thought back to what he said, 'you have to wear every piece in there.' I looked in the bag to find the most beautiful shoes I'd ever seen in my entire life. They were black, open-toed heels that had the most elegant rhinestone cuff at the ankle. It was a good thing that I'd never had a problem walking in high heels.

I kept plunging into the bag and found a pair of hanging diamond earrings that must have cost a fortune. There was one other thing in the bag that caught my eye and when I pulled it out my cheeks turned a bright shade of red.

I was holding a pair of lacy panties that had less fabric than a handkerchief and was probably worth more than my existence. After holding them up to the light, I'd learned only that they would go very very far up my ass.

Of course Rhys would do this, I expected nothing less.

Knowing that he was standing by the door, I said, "I can't even believe you right now, Rhys," with a laugh. He just chuckled from the other side of the door and I heard his footsteps retreating down the stairs.

I applied a bit more makeup than I usually did, making sure everything was perfect, then curled my long hair and pinned up one side with a diamond clip that I found in the drawer-it had probably been his mother's. I had to think about it for a while but I figured he wouldn't mind if I wore it. When I was satisfied that the look of my hair and makeup would match the elegance of the outfit, I walked into the bedroom.

I double-checked that the door was locked then stripped of my clothes and started putting on the ones on the bed. While I slipped on the impossibly small piece of lingerie, I realized that I had been right: it did climb very far up my butt. I pulled the dress on and admired curves that I hadn't even known existed. I stood in the mirror for a few minutes, studying the dress and wondering if I could just stay here all night and look at it. But I managed to back away from the mirror and put on the earrings, then the shoes.

When I was fully dressed and confident that I looked like the type of person who shopped at million dollar stores, I headed out of the room. I descended the stairs and found Rhys with his back to me, looking out the kitchen window. His hair was combed back and had an appropriate amount of gel to make it stay in place. He was wearing what looked to be a perfectly tailored black suit and tie.

I softly cleared my throat and when he turned around, he let out a slow whistle and said, "I have such exquisite taste." He crossed the room and placed a kiss on my forehead before holding out his arm and saying, "Shall we?" It came out more shaky than he probably wanted.

I placed my hand in the crook of his elbow and said, "absolutely." I did notice the lingering glances he threw my way, and the way his hands ran over my body before stopping at my waist. And also the delicate blush that was pink on his cheeks, but I might have been imagining it.

As he was leading me to one of his cars, he stopped abruptly, lifted a finger and asked, "are you wearing everything?"

"I am," I replied, trying not to laugh. He just nodded once and continued to the car, but I could see the smirk on his face out of the corner of my eye.

When we arrived at the restaurant, I tried to hide the fact that I'd never stepped foot in a place like it before. The waiters held white napkins over their forearms and we were seated right away. I noticed Rhys grinning at a few people who looked my way too long as he placed a hand on my lower back and my face heated. We got to our table, dimly lit with lightly scented candles, and Rhys held out my chair for me to sit.

Throughout the entire meal, the servers came back and forth to fill my water glass and when the meal was over, Rhys asked for their finest aged wine. I almost gasped, knowing that in a place this lavish, the wine would cost more than the food itself.

"To you, Feyre, and your admirable bravery," Rhys declared as he raised his glass.

I raised mine in return, "to you, and your kind heart," I said. I understood the price when I took a sip of the drink, feeling the liquid coat my throat and slide down like honey. I didn't realize I'd drained the whole thing until I noticed Rhys's had barely been touched. To my dismay, the waiter filled my glass and I didn't think twice about draining it once more.

Rhys didn't offer to show me the check, which I was thankful for-I didn't think the owners would appreciate their food and wine puked onto their floors. He just slid his credit card in the leather check holder and when it was brought back, he stood and extended a hand to me. We walked out, my hand in the crook of his elbow, and headed to the car.

"Rhys," I said. I noticed that my voice was thick and my words were slurred when he started the car.

He let out a breath of a laugh, "Yes, Feyre?"

"I love you," I giggled. Since when did I giggle?

"I love you too," he said as he smiled at me, and I noticed the edges of his hair and shoulders were a bit blurry.

I blinked dramatically, trying to make my vision correct again.

"Why didn't you touch your drink, Rhys?" I asked, looking at my hands. I'd had alcohol before-mostly sips of Tamlin's beer-but I'd read something about how much a person could handle based on their size and weight or something like that.

I couldn't really think straight as Rhys said, "because I knew I would have to drive you home." I looked out the window at the lights passing by, at the people walking on the sidewalk.

"Am I drunk?" I asked. I had trouble focusing my eyes on anything and my limbs felt weird.

"Only a little," Rhys laughed, pulling into his driveway. I was poking at the sides of my face when Rhys opened my door, and I stepped out only to have my knees wobble. Rhys scooped me up easily and closed the door with his hip.

When he neared the door, I drawled, "that's right, carry me over the threshold like a bride."

He laughed a bit, "whatever you wish."

He carried me up, up, up the stairs and into his room, where he sat me on his bed and took off my shoes. I sat, rambling on about some sports game, while he went into his closet and came back with a folded shirt. He kept a straight face and slid the dresses sleeves down my shoulders and found that I wasn't exactly wearing a bra.

I wiggled my eyebrows and smirked at him suggestively, but he just finished slipping the dress down my legs and laid it on the bed. I was now silent as he put my head through the neck hole and fixed my arms into the sleeves. I looked down at myself and burst out laughing. The shirt was huge on my tiny body; I looked like a Barbie that someone tried to put a human shirt on.

Rhys just smiled as he led me to the bathroom, where he wiped off my makeup and brushed out my hardened curls. He also made me drink a large glass of water and when I kept reaching up to touch his face, he would just hold up a finger and tease, "ah, ah, ah. Not tonight, Feyre."

When he was finished pampering me, he led me back to the bed then pulled the covers up over my shoulders and placed both hands on either side of my face, placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Rest," was all he said as he went into the bathroom to get himself ready for bed. I laid there for a while, listening to the running water until my eyelids started to droop.

The last thing I remember thinking before sleep pulled me under was that I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life like this.

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 **A/N: Hey guys, still not the person who usually posts these. I read one of the comments asking if we were still posting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and considering that the writing process is a bit slow right now, we might have to post chapters further apart. Usually, I'll post the chapter to my tumblr, rowaelingalathynius, maybe a few hours before it gets posted here so y'all might want to check that out every now and then if you want to read the chapters right when they get posted.**

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter, please let us know what you think-we absolutely love hearing from y'all. We would be nowhere without each one of your critiques and encouragement.**

 **Readers remind writers why they write in the first place, and y'all are no different, so thank you all so much!**


	9. The Sister

**Chapter 9-The Sister**

I spent the next weeks in ignorant bliss. Rhysand tried to breach the topic of the impending court date, but I steered the conversation in another direction each and every time.

Everyday Rhysand came up with a new thing for us to do-some great adventure- sometimes with Amara and sometimes without. One of the days, he decided to take us skiing a few hours away and we had the grandest time. Amara didn't want to ski so she played with the other kids while Rhys and I took the ski lift to the top of one of the higher slopes. I wish I could say that I enjoyed the scenery on the way up, but Rhys couldn't keep his hands-or his mouth-off of me.

Another day, Amara begged to go to the huge candy store on the other side of the city. She and I looked through the candy until Rhysand walked up behind us with two huge lollipops, one for me and one for Amara. When his sister wasn't looking, I'd wiggle my eyebrows at him while licking the top of the candy. He glared at me for a moment then burst out laughing.

When Amara asked what he was laughing at, he said, "oh, Feyre likes to make funny faces."

My face turned bright pink when she turned to me and said, "I want to see," with a huge smile.

"Maybe another time, sweetie" I laughed, glancing at a chuckling Rhys.

I smiled at the memory as I painted with Amara; today she wanted to paint a pony.

I heard Rhys's soft knock on the door and I turned my head to see him standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Amara. How's the painting going?" He asked.

She beamed and said, "great! We're almost finished, right Feyre?" She turned her violet eyes to me and I nodded.

He smiled and said, "That's awesome. Can I borrow Feyre for a second?"

"Sure," she said, shrugging.

I placed my brushes in the cup and followed Rhys into the hallway.

"What's up?" I chirped.

He turned to look at me and said, "the court hearing is tomorrow."

My eyes widened and I said, "already?" I took out my phone and frowned when I saw the date. I guess I shouldn't have changed the topic all those times, I could feel my head spinning.

"Are you sure you're ready for this? There are other witnesses, you can still back out if you really need to," he told me, reaching for both my hands.

I nodded my head and sighed, then said, "no, I have to do this."

He was silent for a while before adding, "oh I've been meaning to tell you, I got accepted to college and I start day after tomorrow."

My head snapped up and I blurted, "what?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, it just didn't seem very important at the time and-"

"What college?" I asked slowly, cutting him off.

His looked at me startled and said slowly, "Prythian University."

My face broke out into a huge smile and I rose on my toes and kissed him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He kissed me back for a second before putting his hands on my waist and pushing me a few inches away, breaking the kiss.

"Is there something I should know," he laughed.

"I got accepted to Prythian University. I start day after tomorrow," I squealed, kissing him again. This time he didn't break it, kissing me until I was forced to come up for air.

"That's amazing Feyre," he said, smiling at me.

"I'll never get used to this," Amara said, standing in the hall by the door we had just walked out of.

Rhys and I quickly untangled ourselves and stood awkwardly for a second before Rhys moved to sweep Amara up in his arms.

"It is time for you," he kissed her on the forehead, "to go to bed."

Her smile faded quickly and she motioned for Rhys to get closer; I watched silently as she whispered something in his ear. He turned halfway to me and smiled, then jerked his head toward her upstairs bedroom, telling me to follow.

I followed them up the staircase and into Amara's room, wondering what exactly was happening. I stood in the doorway as Rhys placed Amara into her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.

He walked my way and whispered to me, "she has requested that you be the one to read her a story, not me."

I raised my eyebrows and smiled, then raised my hand and patted his chest before I moved around him and sat on Amara's bed, picking up a book.

I turned to see that Rhys was no longer in the doorway, probably having already retreated to our room.

Amara smiled at me as I started reading the story: a beautiful princess falling in love and living happily ever after. I smiled at the simplicity that gave so many kids so much joy.

Once Amara had fallen asleep and I had finished the story, I leaned over her and kissed her on the forehead, whispering, "goodnight Amara," before switching off her lamp and making my way to the door.

"I love you," I heard her small voice say through the darkness.

I turned back to her and smiled then said, "I love you too."

When I walked out the door, I found Rhys leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets and his head resting against it. I closed the door to her room and turned to see him smiling at me, admiration in his eyes.

He pushed off against the wall, placing his hands on my shoulders and kissing my forehead.

"I love you so much," he whispered as he rested his forehead against mine, our breaths mingling.

"I love you too, Rhys," I replied, wanting to stay in this moment forever.

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 **A/N: Hey guys, sorry this chapter is super late. One thing, we do understand that we aren't posting when we said we were going to so we're just going to post when we can. Please, please, please don't leave a comment telling us that we've missed some days-we know and we feel horrible; school has gotten really stressful for the both of us and unfortunately this is the last completed chapter. The next chapters are not yet written so we don't know when they'll be posted, but we will try our hardest to get them done as soon as possible.**

 **Thank you guys for the positive feedback, I promise there will be some drama soon. (Maybe even some of the inner circle.) I hope you guys like this chapter, thanks for your patience!**


	10. The Trial

**A/N: There's an important note at the end, and I would really appreciate it if you read it. It will explain why I've been MIA and how the story will continue :). Thank you.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10-The Trial**

I stood before the mirror in Rhys's room, working on the buttons of my coat. When they were fastened, I straightened the black skirt so that it laid flat on my legs. My black high-heeled shoes shone in the light and I sighed.

"Ready to go?" I asked, turning to Rhys who was sitting on the edge of his bed. His hands were braced on either side of him and his head was bowed. He raised his eyes to look at me then nodded silently and stood up.

Rhys walked towards me and wrapped his arms around me, resting his cheek on my head. He mumbled something incoherent and I pulled back a bit to hear what he was saying.

"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing his expression.

"I just want this to go well for you," he sighed, cupping my face with his warm, calloused hands.

"It'll be fine. The lawyer said we had a solid case," I soothed. I was surprised that I was the one comforting him for once.

"Then let's go," he breathed, kissing me on the forehead. He grabbed my hand and we headed out the door.

The ride there was silent. We were too jumbled with nerves and anticipation to even try to talk.

I kept my face neutral, blank as I walked into the courtroom. My steps echoed throughout the expanse of the room, and I focused on the noise only to zone out the sounds of the of whispers that started as I walked past.

There weren't many people in the seats when we arrived. I noticed some elderly couples, probably the parents of the other victims. Victim-that's what I was now, what I had been for a while.

Usually, the victim is seated on one side, while the oppressor is at the opposite end. Since there was more than one victim, a new table had been brought inside, long enough to seat eight. Meaning there were six other women, _six other women_ who were treated the same, if not _worse_ than me. The other chair would be occupied by our lawyer, who was seated and dressed in a sleek suit. Tamlin still hadn't arrived, I didn't know whether to be relieved or worried.

I let my gaze fall over the rows and saw a familiar red head standing near the wall. Lucien had come. He wasn't dressed in uniform, though. His eyes locked into mine and he gave a short nod, something sympathy and regret flashing in his eyes. There was something else in his eyes, however, I almost mistook the expression for panic before it settled into a blank state.

Before I reached the gate, Rhys slipped his arm around my waist and placed a small kiss on my temple, then moved to go to his seat. I watched him go for a moment, contemplating running to him and never letting him go. Anything to keep me from this nightmare. I pushed the gate open, trying to keep my hands from trembling.

That's when I saw the girls-and that's what they were: girls. My heart broke, seeing their faces, knowing that they were real and horrible things had been done to each of them. One of them looked to be younger than me; I could tell she was nervous by the way she kept chewing on her lip and wringing her hands.

I sat and after a few minutes, Tamlin walked through the doors. I made a point not to look at him for the rest of the trial, to keep my gaze in a totally different direction as we were all sworn in and the trial started. It was especially hard when he was oh so desperately trying to catch my eye.

The trial went on for hours. My confidence slowly built up at the compelling evidence the lawyer stacked against Tamlin. The jury, however, did not look impressed.

"The jury has ruled," the judge started after a few hours of sitting and explaining our case, "that Mr. Tamlin will be fined an amount of seven-thousand dollars and will serve three months in the Prythian Correctional Center." The judge banged his gavel, the sound echoing in the room, in my mind.

My mouth fell open and I heard murmurs from the people behind us. I couldn't believe this; they just basically let him off the hook. Only three months and some measly fines. He would be free before I knew it, then he would come for me. My hands started to shake, my body was trembling as I comprehended what had just happened. I was scared-no I was terrified of not only what he could do to me, but to other girls. I looked over to the six other girls seated beside me who looked equally in shock. Our lawyer had his hands clenched into tight fists. Sure, he was angry, but he was angry about losing a case. He wouldn't go home tonight, thinking about Tamlin every moment. He wouldn't go home, knowing that he had ruined the lives of the other girls.

I sat there in shock as people started to file out of the room, talking amongst themselves as if their world hadn't just shattered. I started to shake thinking about the horrors that could come in a few months.

"No," Rhysand said loudly behind me. He stood up and his fists shook in barely controlled rage. Fire was dancing in his violet eyes, his lips set in a thin line. Before he could make a scene, a few security guards took a few threatening steps forward. After a moment, Rhys sat down and turned to face me, previous anger subdued.

"Feyre," Rhys whispered as he crouched in front of my chair. He reached toward me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I couldn't look at him, I just stared at my hands in my lap.

"He'll find me, he'll never let me go," I shook with the words, shivering deep in my core. Who knew how mad Tamlin would be after he was released? I shook harder.

"I won't let him," he said with determination to make my heart swell. "He'll have to get through me before he even looks in your direction." I wanted to believe him, I so badly wanted to. But once Tamlin had his mind set on something, someone, he would do anything to get it back.

Rhys raised me up and enveloped me in his arms while I cried. There was no one left in the courtroom, all the other victims having left with their companions.

I held onto the front of his shirt while he cooed soothing words above my head.

"Listen Feyre," Rhys said, holding me at arm's length. He searched my eyes before saying, "he is going to jail-no matter how long it may be, it's still time that you are free of him. So tomorrow, we're going to start college and forget all of this. Okay?"

I nodded softly, still not looking at him. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to forget all of this, but I knew I wouldn't.

"And when the three months is up, he'll be let out. We'll deal with it when the time comes. Together," he finished.

"Okay," I said, wiping my face as I nodded. He nodded as well, but he was no fool. For now, it was the best we could do, to believe this would all get better in time. We both knew it wouldn't.

"Let's go home," he said tentatively, leading me out of the courthouse. Home. Rhys's home, but also mine. For the first time in a long while, I had a home-I had a family, but for how long? How long until Tamlin comes back to take me? No, I wouldn't let him get close to me, to us. I would rather go back willingly than to let him anywhere near Rhys or Amara.

When we got in the car and headed back to the house I said, "thank you Rhys. For letting me stay with you. For loving me. I'm really glad you hired me that day."

He grabbed my hand with heart breaking tenderness and said, "so am I." He gave me a smile that kept me warm for the rest of the ride home.

"How did it go?" Amara asked when we got home. We'd told her that we we're going talk to some people about some bad stuff that had happened to me.

She ran up to hug me, "it was fine, sweetie," I answered. I let out a smile, but it came out more of a grimace. I could tell it didn't escape Rhys's notice.

"Amara," Rhys said, putting a hand on the small of my back, "we've had a bit of a long day, why don't you go play while Feyre rests."

"Okay," Amara answered as I put her down and she ran to her room.

"I could have played with her for a little while," I told him. I braced my hands on the counter and took a deep breath.

He placed one hand on my waist and the other on my shoulder while saying, "no, you couldn't have. What happened this morning was very draining, you need to rest; whether it be watching tv or taking a nap, you need to recharge."

I rotated and looked up at him to see the concern in his violet eyes.

I sighed, "will you stay with me?"

He kissed my forehead, lingering for a minute before whispering, "anything you need."

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 **A/N: Ok, guys. I'm back. I want to apologize for the waiting you had to do, but I'll get back on schedule. It was my first few weeks of high school and I needed time to adjust. I'm taking a bunch of advanced and AP classes and it's consuming all of my time.**

 **I know all of you want some action and I PROMISE YOU it will get there all in good time. Both of our schedules are really packed so it is hard to find time to write but we are working on it.**

 **We're going to keep the same posting schedule, but I want to say that around 6:00 pm will be the time I update because I have practice every day after school and sometimes I have meets, which I don't come back from until 9:00 pm. So please be patient with me, just know that we won't ever give up on this story, but we might be a few days late.**

 **All that aside, I really hoped you liked this chapter and this one is important because it sets up the rest of the story as well. Thank you so much for all the positive reviews it really makes my day :). I love you all and I hope you had a great day. We'll post the next chapter on Friday around this time. Thank's for all the support.**


	11. The First Day

Chapter 11- The First Day

I slept for the rest of that day and woke the next morning, fully rested and wrapped up in Rhys's strong arms. I smiled at his sleeping figure and moved some hair out of his face with a soft touch of my fingers.

He stirred a bit and mumbled, "college today," without even opening his eyes.

I instantly bolted out of bed, remembering what time we had to be at the university. It was a few hours away and we still had to load the car with our boxes. Amara would be starting school soon so Philippa promised to take care of her. I wanted nothing more than to take Amara with us but I knew we'd still be coming back every weekend.

I checked the clock and saw that it was already 8:30.

"Rhys we're going to be late!" I whisper-yelled.

He flipped onto his stomach and groaned into the pillow. "It's only move in day," he mumbled.

He was right in the middle of the huge bed so I crawled over to him on all fours and shook his shoulder. When he didn't move, I thought for a second about what I could do to wake him up.

"Rhysand," I said, knowing it irked him when I used his full name. He scrunched up his face at the name but still didn't move to get up.

I hovered over him and decided to try something. I brought my face down close to his and blew into his ear.

"What're you doing?" he muttered, using his shoulder to block his ear. I stifled a giggle. I started kissing his neck, since his face was still buried in the pillow. I lightly ran fingers down his back, knowing how ticklish he was.

"Feyre," he moaned and squirmed. I smirked at my efforts and kept doing what I was doing.

After a few seconds he let out a curse and flipped back over, capturing my lips with his own.

"I haven't brushed my teeth," I breathed, pulling away for a second. I realized how stupid I was to let that get in the way, especially by the way he was looking at me. His violet eyes that were usually fixed on my own, were gazing hungrily at my lips.

"I don't care," he replied, kissing me again. I went along for a few moments, reluctantly pulling back.

"As much as I don't want to stop, we have to get going. We need to load the boxes, say goodbye to Amara, get moved in, and then explore the campus," I sighed.

His violet eyes were still half closed from sleep but they had the same effect they'd had every time he looked at me. He brushed a stray lock of hair from my face and his fingers lingered on my cheek. If he kissed me again, I didn't think I'd be able to tell him to stop.

Fortunately or unfortunately for me he nodded. We got ready and started to load the boxes in the car. I didn't pack all my clothes, but enough to last me a few months without having to worry about getting more. If I forgot anything I could always come back. I packed a few books and essentials. What took up two of my boxes were my art supplies-I couldn't just leave them here.

We were just about finished when Amara came running barefoot out of the house.

"You're leaving?" she asked, tears lining her eyes.

I glanced at Rhys and asked him a silent question. Apparently he hadn't told her yet.

I bent down and picked up Amara, setting her on my hip. Her lip was quivering and I could tell she was trying not to cry. Rhys came next to us, taking hold of one of Amara's hand.

"Remember I told you I'd be going to college soon?" he asked gently.

"You're going right now?" she asked. We both nodded. "Feyre, are you going too?"

"Yes I am, but Rhys and I will come visit you every weekend," I said holding her tighter.

"You promise?"

"Promise," both Rhys and I said simultaneously.

She wrapped both her arms around my neck and hugged me. I held her tightly, not wanting to let go. She had wiggled her way into my heart in the time I'd been here. She slowly let go and reached for Rhys. They both hugged for a long time, neither of them making any move to let go of eachother.

"Be good to Phillipa. I'll miss you, Amara," he sighed into her hair.

"I'll miss you too, Rhys," she sniffed. She hopped down and said, "I'll miss you too, Feyre."

I hugged her once more and she went padding back into the house. She looked back once and I saw a tear glistening on her cheek and I ached to go back and wipe it away.

"That was harder than I thought," I whispered. I looked over to Rhys and saw that he was still staring after her as if he could see through the closed door. "She'll be okay."

He nodded and headed back into the car before I could see his heart breaking. I silently followed after him, knowing better than to interrupt his thoughts right now.

Rhys and I split up after we reached the university and got ourselves signed in, each of us going to find our dorms. He offered to help me carry my boxes from the car but I declined, not wanting to keep him from his own boxes.

I strolled about the beautiful campus with my arms wrapped around one of my smaller boxes. Being it was the middle of Autumn, leaves crunched underfoot as I walked past unfamiliar faces. I glanced around to see some guys throwing a frisbee in the grass, a girl perched under a tree with a rather large book, and a so _not_ obvious drug deal happening in the parking lot a few feet away.

A dark-skinned man with stunning blue eyes smiled admiringly as he walked past me. I tried not to think too much about it as I scanned the buildings for the name of my dorm.

I kept going another few steps before I found the correct one and took a deep breath as I climbed the steps; the whole college thing still hadn't sunk in and I was surprised to find myself nervous.

I searched the halls for the room corresponding to the number printed on the sheet in my hand. Once I finally found it, I took one more deep breath and pushed through the door.

"Hi," an extremely perky voice chirped as soon as I stepped foot inside. A gorgeous blonde girl who looked to be my age was standing in front of me smiling. "You must be Feyre, wow it's so nice to meet you." she took my box and placed it on the bed occupying the non-decorated side of the room-my side. I eyed the other half-her side. I had to admit, it was decorated nicely: a few pictures of a group of friends, inspirational posters, a desk with several books on the shelves. "My name is Mor. Well my actual name is Morrigan-I know, it's horrible. My parents were totally into war and all that junk. Anyway," she kept going as I walked to the window and peered out of it.

I could see Rhys on the sidewalk below, holding one of my boxes and walking toward my dorm. I rolled my eyes and smiled, of course he'd bring my stuff even when I told him not to. I couldn't say I wasn't grateful though.

I faintly realized that Mor was still talking just as it was too late. I snapped back to reality and whirled to face her when she tapped me twice on the shoulder and said, "so?"

"Can you repeat the question?" I winced, knowing I probably wasn't making a very good first impression.

She just laughed a bit and said, "would you like me to help you carry some boxes up?" I observed her pretty face, wondering if she was born looking like _that._ She had sharp, high cheekbones, full lips, and gorgeous eyes accented by thick lashes. She really was gorgeous.

"No, but thank you," I started, hoping she wouldn't take it personally; she seemed nice enough. "My boyfriend is actually-"

I was cut off as the door opened and Rhys walked in saying, "seriously Feyre, you think they'd put some elevators in this place." He looked at Mor, shock and recognition falling on his face, then said, "what are you doing here?"

She squealed and threw her arms around Rhys as he just laughed. I tensed up, not knowing what exactly was going on or whether I should be comfortable with it or not. I knew for sure that if it was Tamlin and I, and the situations had been reversed with _me_ hugging another guy, that he would not be okay with it at all.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she shot back, smiling and looking at the box in his hands. "Wait a second," she turned to me, "Is this the boyfriend you were talking about?"

I blushed as my eyes darted between Mor and Rhys. They seemed plenty at ease with each other. I slowly nodded, still not understanding the situation at hand.

"You were talking about me?" Rhys asked, wiggling his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes and looked to Mor who was trying to hold in a laugh. She had something close to surprise in her eyes as she watched our exchange.

Rhys placed the box on my bed and said, "Mor is my cousin." I let out a breath and felt the tension in my shoulders dissolve. _Thank god,_ I thought.

Rhys came up beside me and gripped my hand tightly. I noticed Mor glance at our intertwined hand with an amused quirk of her lips, but thankfully she didn't say anything.

"So! Rhysand, why don't you go ahead and settle in and I'll take care of Feyre!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Rhysand's hand tightened even more on mine and he shot me a look that clearly said that he did _not_ want to do that.

He jut out his bottom lip in a pout that I'd come to recognize on Amara's face, and the effect was even more mesmerizing on him. I stared at his lips for a moment too long, and it failed to escape both their notices.

"None of that," Mor waved her hand giving her own puppy dog eyes. They entered a staring contest, and my eyes darted between both of theirs wondering who'd come out of this one. I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

Suddenly my hand was ripped out of Rhys's and Mor grabbed a hold of my own.

"I'll take good care of her," Mor said as she practically shoved Rhys out of the door. I shot him an apologetic smile, even though this wasn't any of my fault.

'I'll call you,' I mouthed to him, and I barely saw him nod before Mor shut the door in his face.

She dragged me over to her bed and I had no choice but to sit down beside her. She seemed not to know about personal space, or she just didn't care.

"What a coincidence that my cousin's girlfriend just happens to be my roommate!" she exclaimed with a brilliant smile.

I smiled and nodded hesitantly. I was uncomfortable with the sudden attention from a stranger. Well maybe she wasn't a _total_ stranger. Perhaps I would get to know more about Rhys from her.

"So how did you guys meet?" she asked, looking genuinely intrigued. She seemed to take a lot of interest in our relationship already.

"Um, he hired me to work at his sister's birthday party. I was the face painter," I replied, smiling at the memory.

"You paint! How's Amara doing? I haven't seen her in so long!"

"She's the most adorable little girl in the world," I felt more comfortable talking about familiar ground. "She's a mini-Rhys."

Mor chuckled, shaking her head, her blonde hair glimmering with the movement. I never would've guessed Rhys and Mor were even related. Well, I guess they had their beyond good looks in common.

Suddenly I heard a pelting noise and I tensed up, not recognizing where it was coming from. I glanced at the door, expecting it to be Rhys back again, but as I checked through the peep-hole, no one was there. I glanced back at Mor and realization dawned on her features. She turned towards the window as another onslaught of pelting began again. Tiny pebbles were being thrown at our window. Mor and I walked towards the window, gazing cautiously down, not knowing what to expect.

Rhys and two other men I didn't recognize were continuously throwing rocks at our window. Mor was smiling brightly down at them as she waved. She opened the window and poked her head out.

"What are you guys doing?" she giggled, her voice slightly above normal speaking level.

A tall guy with shoulder length hair answered back. "Come down! I haven't seen you in forever!" he called up. He was handsome in a rough way, his hazel eyes burning bright.

"We just saw her a few days ago," the other man replied. He, too, was tall and he was classically handsome. His dark black hair stood out against his tan skin, and he seemed to be intently staring at Mor. Mor blushed under his gaze, but I had the feeling she wasn't aware of it. I raised my eyebrows and looked back to Rhys. As always my heart sped up at just looking at him. He seemed at ease with these two, and I wondered how long he knew them for. The three of them sure were quite the group, and it didn't escape my notice how the few girls who were outside were practically drooling at the sight of them.

I poked my head hesitantly out the window as well, and was quite amused when they all seemed startled by my appearance.

Rhys's eyes lit up and a brilliant smile overtook his features and I couldn't help but return the smile.

"You must be Feyre! Rhys talks non-stop about you!" the long-haired one shouted, earning himself a whack on the head from Rhys.

"You talk about me?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows at Rhys, throwing his words back at him.

The man let out a guffaw of laughter and a chuckle escaped from the other one.

"Hold on. We'll be down there in a second!" Mor trilled, shutting the window. I gazed out for a moment longer, watching the trio mess around. It was so unlike the responsible Rhys I had come to known, and I was glad to see that he wasn't always the father-figure.

I turned my attention back to More to see that she was also looking down at them with a look of love on her face.

"Who are the other two?" I asked, pointing at them.

"Oh! I totally forgot to introduce you guys. Come on, I'll tell you about them on the way down." I followed her as she locked our door and lead me downstairs.

"The one with the long hair is Cassian and the one with the darker hair is Azriel," her tone changed as she mentioned Azriel. "You can call them Cas and Az if you want," she added. I nodded, but I was sure I'd never get close enough to call them by their nicknames. Why did they all have nicknames anyways? "We've known eachother since we were kids, and we've been best friends ever since." Again, her tone changed, but it took on a sad note. I wondered what that was about.

We reached outside and I barely saw Rhys coming. He pulled me in close, my back

against his chest and he rested his chin on top of my head. I was honestly so startled by the sudden movement that I hadn't registered what anyone had been saying until they all stared back at me expectantly. "Feyre?" Rhys asked a hint of worry in his voice.

"Sorry?" it came out more of a question.

"We said we were going to head out to eat. Do you and Rhys want to tag along?" Cassian said not missing a beat.

I looked at Rhys and he shrugged. I guess it was up to me. As much as I wanted to go 'home' and rest, I wanted to meet Rhys's friends even more.

"I'd love to," I replied honestly. Rhys's smile widened and he hugged me closer to him.

"Great let's go," Cassian said, clapping his hands together.

* * *

 **A/N: Don't hate me please! I'm sorry sorry sorry I haven't posted. I was truly planning to but I had NO motivation to write and I had extreme writer's** **block, then Empire of Storms came out and made me explode me with feels and we both had a writing spree last weekend. So we already have 2 1/2 more chapters so yeah...**

 **I'll warn you, this is the last happy chapter for a while.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it and the next chapters will be heartfull's for you. Is that a word? Heartfull? Well, at least that's how I feel about it. Thank you to for the reviews and support! We'll be back Friday with more content.**

 **Someone asked if we're okay writing smut. What do you guys think? Also someone asked, I'm doing cross country meets btw.**


	12. The Capture

**Chapter 12-The Capture**

 **Feyre POV**

 _His hand was coming toward me in slow motion. This time I knew what was going to happen. This time I ducked under it, but missed the second blow. I screamed breathlessly as his fist buried itself deep into my gut. Pain was all I could feel, physically and mentally._

" _Why are you doing this?" I gasped through the pain, clutching my stomach._

" _Because you are mine, and I do not share," he said in a painfully gentle voice. I looked up from beneath my lashes to see his golden blonde hair gleam in the light. His handsome face was feral, almost animalistic. How could I have not known that he was practically twice my age? Was I so desperate to lunge upon the next guy who showed any hint of kindness?_

" _I'll never be yours," I gritted out, still holding my stomach, but I stood up straighter._

" _You're just confused," he insisted, and he looked like he truly meant it. "I don't want to hurt you." He reached out a hand and I flinched instinctively._

" _Go to hell, Tamlin," I said pathetically._

 _His green eyes flashed. He raised his hand once again, and I braced myself for the blow._

"Feyre!" a voice that was definitely not Tamlin's shouted from above me. I shot up and grunted when my head slammed into something hard. "Ow!"

I opened my eyes to see a disheveled Mor staring wide-eyed at me, holding a hand up to her forehead. My breaths came out in labored pants until I looked around to see that I was still in my dorm, then I sagged with relief.

"What's wrong," I croaked. I cleared my throat. I vaguely noticed the sheen of sweat that was coating my skin.

"You were having a nightmare, I think. You started screaming, so I wanted to make sure you were okay," she explained.

I winced. The nightmares had gone away after I started staying with Rhys, I realized, and now they were back. "What time is it?"

"It's 3 in the morning," she said glancing at the ornament clock that she hung up in the middle of our two walls. She rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes and yawned.

"Mor, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to wake you up or hit you in the head." I cringed inwardly. She'd probably take back every nice thing she said and stay away from me for the rest of the year. There went my chance at making a friend.

Instead, her eyes softened. "Don't worry about it. Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

I found myself shaking my head. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, willing all thoughts of _him_ out of my mind.

I plastered a small smile on my face. "I'm okay now. It was just a bad dream," even though I knew I was certainly _not_ okay. I found myself wishing I was back with Amara and Rhys, painting and dancing around the living room.

"I'm always here if you need to talk. Any time, okay?" She placed her hand on mine and I almost flinched away, but caught myself before I did.

I nodded, even though we both knew that I wouldn't bother. Even when I so desperately wanted to take this weight off my chest.

She gave me one last look before she hopped off her bed and went into hers. I turned so that my back was facing to her, not wanting to find her eyes staring back warily at me. I waited until I heard her breaths become even before I hopped out of bed, knowing that there was no chance I'd get another wink of sleep.

I silently shrugged on a light jacket and a pair of shoes, careful not to wake up Mor. I decided to leave my phone on the desk where it was still charging; I would be back in a few minutes. I made sure my dorm key was safely tucked into my pocket before I quietly closed the door behind me.

I took a walk around the grounds, the brisk air welcoming against the feverish heat of my skin. I tried to clear my thoughts, but my head was spinning in rapid circles.

I was scared.

I was scared of Tamlin and what he might do once he gets out of jail. I debated on calling Rhysand, but I didn't want to wake him up in the middle of the night and ruin his sleep. I groaned, as much as I wanted to get my mind off of things, I definitely did not want to go to college. But as long as it was better than high school, I guessed I'd be okay with it.

Rhysand. No matter what I was thinking of, my thoughts always floated back to him, not that I minded. Every moment I had with him, I wondered if it'd be our last. _How long until he realizes he's been loving a broken girl? How long until he realizes he could do so much better?_ I shook my head. He loved me, he made that much clear, and doubting that would be the same as doubting every good thing in the world. It was no question that I loved him with every fiber of my being, of my soul. It was almost dangerous.

I found myself wandering until 4 in the morning then decided to head back. If I was lucky, I could catch another few hours of sleep. I thought I saw a flash of blonde hair and immediately stiffened. _He's in jail. He's not going to hurt me or anyone else again,_ I reminded myself.

My thoughts drifted back to last night, when Rhys had taken me with his friends to eat. Despite my plaguing thoughts earlier, I smiled. They were all so welcoming-Azriel not so much, but I had a feeling it will take a lot more to get him warmed up to me.

I realized with a jolt that I _wanted_ to get to know them. I wanted them to like me. Cassian and Mor had treated me like their long lost sister, finally returned. Rhys was lucky to have friends like them. I wondered why I never met them before.

Leaves crunched, but my breath fled my body when I realized that the sound wasn't coming from my feet. I whirled around to find nothing, just the soft breeze of the autumn air possibly making the noises. I took a deep breath and turned back around, cursing myself for my paranoia.

I was too immersed in my thoughts that I had no time to react. No time to react to the hand that clamped around my mouth, effectively muffling the scream that was building up in my throat. Or the arm that wrapped around my waist from behind me. Or the voice that whispered in my ear.

"Did you miss me?" That voice, I knew that voice. My eyes were wide with terror, undeniable terror that left my body shaking. Oh god, oh god, oh god he was going to kill me. Tears ran freely down my face as his hand tightened, keeping me from trying to move. The thing was, I couldn't move even if I tried. I was frozen with fear. I felt handcuffs wrap around my wrists and found myself suspicious as to where he obtained them.

"If I were you, I'd do as I say or your little lap dog will suffer the consequences," Tamlin whispered in my ear. His voice slipped off his tongue and wrapped around my senses, terrifying me more than anything else. "I'm going to take my hand off your mouth, and you are _not_ going to scream, okay?" When he saw I made no move to react he hissed another, "okay?" I nodded numbly, hyper aware of his cold hands leaving my face, but then he clutched my shoulder and guided me off the sidewalk.

"Where are you taking me?" I whispered when I finally found my voice, and I cursed myself for the small tremble in the words. He was leading us on a hidden trail and I saw a black car looming in the distance. I noticed a head in the driver's seat, but it was too dark to tell who it was.

"I'm taking you home, Feyre," he soothed, bringing up his hand and trailing his fingers down my cheek. I instantly flinched and jerked away from his touch. His eyes flashed, but he didn't say anything about it.

"He'll find you," I seethed through gritted teeth.

"And if he does, I'll be prepared," he lifted his shirt to show the pistol tucked into his waistband. An image flashed in my head, causing the tears to fall harder. For a moment, I was standing next to Rhys again, waiting for him to hold my hand and tell me he loved me. But I knew he wouldn't, because I was standing next to his open casket.

My bottom lip quivered at the growing possibility of that happening.

"Feyre, I'm not going to let him take you again. You're safe now," he said.

"Please, just leave me alone," I begged, trying to pry away from his steel grip. It made him grip my shoulder tighter, enough to make me wince with pain.

"I can't," he said simply, shrugging.

"Why?" I needed to keep him talking. Why? I wasn't sure. Maybe someone would come out and notice us. At four in the morning? Not likely.

"Because I love you." I felt sick. He didn't love me-he couldn't, not after the trial. Not after everything he'd done. He thought he owned me.

We reached the car and he opened the door for me then threw me inside. Instead of him taking the passenger seat like I prayed he would, he sat right beside me.

My eyes shot to the mirror in front of the window and fearful russet eyes stared back at me framed by auburn eyebrows. I knew those eyes.

"Let's go, Lucien," Tamlin hissed. My eyes widened even more. Lucien, the police officer. _He_ was helping Tamlin? Immediately the car shot forward.

"How did you escape?" I asked, dreading the answer that I'd predicted.

"Lucien and I go way back," Tamlin smiled, looking out the window.

I looked into the mirror again, finding his eyes already there. _How could you?_ I tried to ask with my eyes. His eyes shot away, but I caught the look of regret that flashed through them.

"You can't do this to me. I was suppose to go to college today-"

"Don't worry," he cut me off. "You'll still go, just not for a while." I didn't understand what exactly he meant by that, but I decided to keep quiet. If I showed no interest maybe he'd let me go… but as the car continued down the darkened streets, even I knew that I was only kidding myself.

* * *

 **Rhysand POV**

"It's Feyre. She's gone." My body froze and all thoughts flew out of my head as I comprehended those words. I gripped my phone tighter in my hand, and compelled my legs to walk, run, faster to their dorm.

"What do you mean _she's gone_?" I panicked. Azriel and Cassian exchanged confused looks, but I just ignored them, my thoughts solely on Feyre. Always on Feyre.

"How much longer until you get here?" Mor asked, her tone clearly anxious.

"Damnit, Mor. Just answer the question!" I exclaimed frantically. My feet hit the ground over and over, but I couldn't seem to get there fast enough.

"I don't know, Rhys! Just get here as quick as you can so I can explain," she pleaded.

"I'll be there in a few seconds, open the door," I rushed, hurriedly leaping up the stairs. I hung up and tried to come up with possible scenarios in which Feyre was fine. That she just left for an early breakfast, that she went out to take a run (although very not likely), that she had to go buy something from the store. But with each scenario I made, worse ones flooded through my mind.

I spotted Mor's blonde hair gleaming from her opened door and I pushed past other students, desperate to reach her. Her eyes were wide and her eyebrows raised in concern. Azriel and Cassian trailed behind me, out of breath from the sudden sprint.

"What's going on?" Cassian panted through gasps of air.

I ignored them and instead went to search around the room. I flung her comforter off her beg, checked in the bathroom, searched through every nook and cranny in the room, but I knew my efforts would be fruitless. My hands flew to my hair, gripping it between my fingers. _Where is she, where is she, where is she?_

"She's not here, Rhys," Mor said softly. I looked at her to find that I'd said the words aloud.

"Where the hell did she go?" I yelled. I clenched my fists and tried to control the anger and frustration that was building up inside of me. Azriel's eyes flashed at my outburst, but thankfully didn't comment.

"Last night, she had a nightmare. She was screaming like a banshee-"

"And you didn't call me?" I interrupted angrily. Oh god, that first night at my house. In the time she spent sleeping soundly in my bed, I'd forgotten she had nightmares.

"No, Rhys, I didn't. I didn't think anything of it, it was just a harmless nightmare. She told me she was fine." I scoffed. I should've been there. "I don't know if that has anything to do with this, but she seemed pretty shaken up. I woke up at 5:30 to go run, but she wasn't in bed. I thought maybe she goes for runs too-"

"She doesn't," I inserted, frustrated. I glanced at the clock, it was 8:00 now.

"I know that now," she had become frustrated lips were pursed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest stubbornly.

"You've known she was gone for three hours and you're just now telling me?" I seethed.

"God, Rhys. She's her own person! I'm just getting to know her. She doesn't tell me where she goes 24/7!" she shouted. She took a deep breath and continued. "Her cellphone is here, her shoes and jacket are gone." I was silent. Where did she go? Why did she leave? What happened to her? Questions flooded my head and I knew that they would haunt me until she was back at my side, safe.

"Maybe she was just overwhelmed. She just needed a day off," Cassian suggested.

"She would tell me first," I snapped. His lips tightened and he blew a frustrated breath, his hair flying up in the process.

"Rhys, I know you're frustrated, but she's probably fine. Just because she's your girlfriend doesn't mean you need to know where she is all the time. You spent _some_ time apart before you got here, I'm sure," he continued, rolling his eyes. I could tell he was still worried, he was just trying to lighten up the air. It didn't help.

"No we didn't!" I informed. I didn't know what compelled me to say it but I blurted, "we live together!"

"What?" they all shrieked, their eyes widening in shock.

I rolled my eyes and tapped my foot impatiently. "Why are you all so surprised?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Rhys?" Azriel asked. I shot him an annoyed look, clearly not amused; it was not the time to start making jokes.

"You never let any girl into your house!" Cassian exclaimed.

"God, Cas, she's not just _any girl_ ," I snapped, my thoughts painfully drifting back to the times we had together. _Snap out of it, Rhys_. _She's fine._

"Clearly," Cas murmured. "You're in love with her," Mor stated, awestruck.

"Of course I'm in love with her," I admitted bluntly. If there was anything in the world that I was sure of, it was that I loved her. "Now if you don't help me find the woman _I love_ , then you should get to class. I'm going to the police," I proclaimed. None of them made any effort to move. They stayed rooted into place, looking at me for instructions. Some of my previous frustration at them seeped away, glad that I had these people for my friends.

"We're not going anywhere," Azriel, surprisingly, spoke up.

"Why?" I asked, not that I didn't want their help.

"Because this girl has clearly changed you. You're happier, well not right now," I shot Cassian a look and he winced. "And you clearly care enough about her to drop everything and look for her. We owe you at least that much to help," Cassian shrugged.

I nodded at all of them, determination set on my face. "Let's go find her," I said.

"How?" they all said.

I didn't know how to answer.

* * *

"I would like to file a missing persons report," I said to the officer at the front desk. I found myself at the police station for the second time in a span of a few weeks.

"Name?" she asked boredly. I scowled, she should try to show _some_ consideration. Feyre was missing, for god's sake.

"Her name is Feyre Archeron. She's 19 years old. She has golden brown hair and blue-grey eyes. She's approximately 5'8", slender build. Anything else you need to know?" I said all of that in one breath.  
She raised her eyebrows and asked, "when did she go missing?"

"Some time between 3 a.m. and 5:30," Mor chimed.

"Do you think this was a voluntary or involuntary departure?" she asked in monotone.

I was taken aback. I didn't even consider that Feyre could've left voluntarily, but why would she?

"Involuntary," we all said in unison. Dread settled in my stomach. _She was kidnapped._ And from the looks on everyone else's faces, they came to the same confusion.

"Any other distinguishing characteristics? Any jobs? Any other people we should be aware of? Friends, family?"

"She's a tattoo artist, but her job is a few hours away. She left it for the school year. She has a tattoo on her left hand. She has two sisters, but she hasn't spoken to them in years, same goes for her father. I doubt they even remember she exists," I scowled. My eyes widened in horror. "And," my voice cracked, "her ex, Tamlin. He was recently put into jail for domestic violence," I whispered. _No._ This couldn't have been connected. Could it? Mor, Az, and Cas exchanged horrified glances.

Suddenly the color drained from the officer's face. Her mouth took a tiny O shape and her eyes were wide.

"Sir, yesterday there was an escape from custody. His name was Tamlin. 35 years old, blonde hair, green eyes?" she asked.

Horror made my fingers tremble. I gripped the side of the desk to keep them still. I nodded slowly.

"It was on the news yesterday. There's a possibility that these two situations may be connected. Are you free to stay for questioning?" I nodded again, numbly.

I turned to face the others. "You guys go ahead. You don't know anything, you won't be of use here anyway," I said hoarsely. I pretended not to notice the hurt expressions on their faces. All I could think about was Tamlin getting ahold of Feyre. Her being utterly hopeless, not knowing what to do. _I should've been there._

"Rhys-" Cassian started.

"It's not your fault," Mor insisted.

"Yes it is!" I shouted, starling many of the people in the facility. My voice dropped into a broken tone. "This is all my fault," I whispered.

Mor took a hold of my hand, but it wasn't what I wanted. I wanted-no-I needed _her_ here _._

"We're not leaving," she said firmly, earning nods from both Cassian and Azriel. Deciding that I couldn't argue, I slunk into the nearest chair. I dropped my head into my hands, and for the first time in years, _I cried._

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you guys liked it! THANK YOU for all the positive reviews and all of the support!**

 **And yes, I finished Empire of Storms in like two days AND THE ENDING DESTROYED ME.**

 **Have a good day.**


	13. The Threat

**Chapter 13-The Threat**

"I need your phone," Tamlin stated, holding out his hand for me to drop it into.

"I left it in my dorm," I said, backing up a few steps. We arrived at a mansion of a house a few minutes ago. I didn't know if it belonged to Tamlin or not, all I knew was that I'd be staying here.

"Still think your little boy toy will find you?" he rolled his eyes, but I caught the flash of anger in them.

"Stop calling him that. He has a name," I snapped. His eyes darkened and he took a few steps closer.

"I'm very well aware of his name. _Rhysand_ ," he spat. "And his adorable little baby sister Amara, who is now living with her caretaker, Philippa, until he comes back from college. Is that right?" he smiled cruelly. My mouth popped open with fear. "I know where he lives. I know what his dorm number is. I know that his parents are dead. I know _everything_ about him, maybe even more than you."

I shook my head furiously. I was shaking, but frozen at the same time. "Now if you don't want anything to happen to him, you'll listen to me. Do you understand?" He was coming closer, backing me up against the wall. My heart starting beating faster, but not in the way it did with Rhys. This time it was with fear.

I felt his hand go towards my pants and almost lost all thoughts. But his fingers just reached into my front pocket and pulled out my dorm key.

"And," he added, "you've just given me access to your new friend's room. Mor, is it?"

I kept my face blank, trying not to give away any information, but my insides were quaking. Mor was Rhys's cousin, his family. I couldn't let her get taken from him too.

"Feyre," he breathed, lifting my face up with his cold fingers. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

I shuddered and tried to turn my face away from him, but his fingers held my chin in place.

"Where's Lucien?" I asked, trying to shrink back from his face that was nearing mine.

"I don't want to hear a word from you right now. Don't you think you've said enough?" he asked. He was so close that I could smell the faint scent of alcohol on his breath.

"When can I go back?" I asked again. I needed to keep him occupied by talking to keep him from-to keep him from doing whatever he wanted to do to me.

"When you've proven to be a good girl, I'll consider it," he drawled.

My lips trembled with barely contained rage. I clenched my fists at my side, desperate enough to think about trying to hit him. Even though we both knew that he could easily break me in half with little to no effort.

"I'm tired," I sighed. I tried to look like I was desperately in need of sleep, which I was. He pulled back a little, his hands thankfully dropping to his sides.

"I'll show you to our room," he smirked. My mouth went dry. _Our_ room. We were going to share a room?

"Can't I sleep by myself?" I asked helplessly, knowing what the answer would be.

"No," he said simply, taking ahold of my hand and leading me up a few flights of stairs. High enough that I wouldn't even contemplate jumping out the window.

The room was dimly lit, decorated how his old room used to be. The granite floors were cold even through the shoes I was wearing. Placed in the center of the room was a large bed, large enough for me to keep a healthy distance away from his as I slept.

Who was I kidding? Any close proximity between us was _not_ healthy. I shivered from the cold, from the thought of spending a night with _him._

"There are some clothes in the closet if you want to change," he stated, locking the door behind us. Panic made my eyes go wide, made my legs back up until I reached the edge of the bed and fell back. He chuckled dryly. "Are you alright?"

"What's it to you?" I snapped, straightening.

His eyes flashed in a way that told me not to push him further. "I _care_ about you, Feyre."

I scoffed and turned my head. I walked towards the closet and my jaw dropped. Nothing but skimpy outfits filled it, clothes that I wouldn't even consider looking at.

"Do you really expect me to wear this?" I seethed, clenching my fists. I felt like bashing his head onto the floor.

He simply shrugged, laying down on the bed, propping his head up with his hands. I rummaged through the clothes, trying to find something decent to wear. I settled on a pair of black leggings and a long sweater I found buried in the back. I stormed into the bathroom, double checking to make sure I locked it. I turned on the shower, letting the steam fog the glass.

I sat down on the cold floor, defeated, staring at my reflection. How did I get into this mess? My thoughts drifted to Rhys. Did he notice I was gone? Was he out searching for me now? For his sake I hoped he wasn't.

Tears turned into full on sobs, wracking my body with every breath I took.

A few hard knocks sounded the door. I sniffed and tried to make my voice sound as neutral as possible.

"I'm taking a shower!" I lied.

"Are you crying?" he asked and I gritted my teeth. Why did he care?

"No, I'm not! Just let me be," I begged. I waited until the footsteps retreated until I quickly stripped my clothes and stepped into the shower. I stayed in it for a few seconds to make it looked like I had actually showered. I hopped out and toweled myself dry, stepping into the soft sleepwear.

I _wouldn't_ stay here. I had to find a way to escape _and_ make sure that Rhys and Amara were safe. But how? I had to speak to Lucien. I had to know what his part was in all of this. How-why did he let Tamlin get away?

When I stepped into the room again, I took note of details I hadn't noticed before. There were no locks on the windows, but they looked like they had been shut for a long time. A quick peek out of them confirmed my suspicions about how high we were. There were no phones, at least not ones that I could see. No TV, no laptop, nothing to let me get a glimpse of the outside world. Nothing to let me contact Rhys.

Tamlin was still sprawled on the bed, but this time clad in plaid pajamas and a white t-shirt. I was glad I hadn't come out earlier and caught him changing. That would surely make me want to gouge my eyes out. My hair was still dripping onto my back, making me shiver.

"Are you cold?" he asked, fake concern in his eyes

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and scowled. "Listen, _Tamlin_ ," I spat. "Let's settle some ground rules, okay?" I braced myself for the rage that was sure to burst out of him. But instead of getting angry, he his eyebrows raised and his mouth slided into an amused smirk. _Go on,_ he seemed to say. "I am going to go to college, I already missed my first day because of you. I'm going to sleep by myself. You are not going to touch me. You're going to bring me back to my dorm by tomorrow. And you are not going to touch either Rhys or Amara, you got it?"

"Nope," he said simply. Like the mature adult I was, I stomped my foot.

"Listen to me, Tamlin. I don't know what you want from me, but I do know that I want _nothing_ to do with you. You are a criminal. Why can't you leave me alone?" I whined.

In a flash, faster than my eyes could catch, he was up and standing a few paces in front of me.

"I know that I hurt you, Feyre. But I'm never going to do it again," he explained.

"Don't you understand? You're hurting me right now!" I exclaimed. "You never even apologized!"

If looks could kill, we'd both be dead. "I'm sorry," he stated, coming closer.

I held up a hand to stop him. "Don't say it if you don't mean it. I will _never_ forgive you, _never_. You lied to me, you dictated my life, you controlled every decision I made. You had a say in what I ate, what I wore, who I hung out with! And when you couldn't take it anymore you hit me!" Tears were streaming down my face again, but I also felt like a weight had been lifting off my chest. Saying those words, letting them out, it felt liberating to finally say them to his face, to let him know the monster that he was. He looked at me like _I_ was the one who hit _him_.

"I _love_ you, Feyre," he said again, as if that'd make me forgive him for all the wretched things he'd done.

"No you don't! You love the _idea_ of me, the idea of having me! Well guess what? I'm not yours to have!" I screamed.

"You are mine. You are mine," he repeated, as if convincing himself.

"No I'm not," I said again. Agony flashed across his features.

"How about I set some ground rules." He narrowed his eyes at me, "I'm not going to touch you yet. If you behave I won't touch the other two either," he seethed. "You're still going to sleep beside me for now. And when you start to act like the Feyre I used to know, you can go back to college and I'll even let you sleep in your dorm. You can have the full college experience," I almost sagged with relief.

"You're going to go and break up with your little _boyfriend_ , and make sure that he never talks to you again. You are not to speak to him or anyone else about me at all, do you understand?" he added.

I opened my mouth to say there was no way in hell, but then he pulled the gun from the waistband of his pants, and I was standing by Rhys's lifeless body again. My mouth went dry and I gulped. I nodded numbly, even though my heart cracked at the thought of breaking up with Rhys. But it had to be done, for his and Amara's safety, if not my own.

"Do you understand?" he asked again, his green eyes merciless.

"I understand," I replied hoarsely. There was _nothing_ I could do, _nothing_ that would get me out of this. Now that Tamlin had the cops on his side and a weapon, there was no way for me to win this.

That light that had ignited inside of me when I met Rhys…it flickered and snuffed out. My heart shattered inside of me, the pieces not fitting together. My soul had been ripped out of my body, and I was suddenly void of any emotion. Because if I let myself _feel,_ then I'd undoublety do something stupid and it would end up with Rhys or Amarah hurt-or worse, dead-and I couldn't, _wouldn't_ , let that happen, even if it meant I had to break myself in the process. Because if one thing was certain, it was that my life wasn't above Rhys's or Amara's. I'd brought this upon myself, they were just unlucky enough to get caught up in all of this.

Unlucky to have known me.

So I did what I did best, I gave up. I numbly walked to the bed, missing the triumphant smile that twisted Tamlin's lips. and tucked myself into the covers, and when Tamlin's hand brushed against my own, I pulled it back as close as I could. I hopelessly let myself drift off into a nightmare filled sleep, but this time it wasn't any worse than reality.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and support! Don't worry it will all get better soon... or will it? Have a good day.**


	14. The Deal

**Chapter 14-The Deal**

 **Rhysand POV**

"Rhysand," my professor's voice jerked me out of my thoughts. I winced and brought my head up. She was standing in front of my desk with a stern expression pinching her wrinkled face. I'd almost fallen asleep, again. I'd barely been getting enough sleep lately, spending the nights endlessly searching _for something._

I let out a small sigh and rolled my eyes. Cassian and Azriel shot me an alarmed glance, which I couldn't care less about.

"Yeah?" I drawled, not caring about anything or anyone at this moment. Other than _her._ It had been two weeks since I last saw her. Two weeks of going out of my mind. Ever fiber of my being was calling to her, needing her. I just needed to see that she was safe. I'd never needed someone else like I'd needed her. It was as if she held me together; without her, I fell apart. I couldn't even try to call her, when her phone was tucked into my pocket every second of the day.

The police had made no progress. This whole situation made me want to rip my hair out. It was hard enough that I spent the first week locked in my dorm room, Cassian trying to get me to at least go to class, but with no luck. For all I knew, she could have been dead on the side of the road.

The thought sent horrible chills down my back.

I missed her smile, her eyes, the way she said my name, the way she took care of Amara, the way she made me feel like the luckiest person in the world. I missed everything about her, and there was nothing I could do to find her. She was my oxygen, and without her, I was dying, I was suffocating. I needed to hold her hand, to have some reassurance that she was here and safe. God, she deserved better. She deserved someone who wouldn't have led her into this situation. But I was selfish, I couldn't let her go, not after everything.

"I asked you to answer the question on the board, but seeing as you haven't attended the first week of classes I don't know how you would," she snapped.

My eyes flicked to the board, and perhaps it was sheer luck, but I knew the exact answer to the question.

I rattled of an organic compound formula, and if it had been any other day, I would've smirked at her astounded expression. She schooled it into one of nonchalance, and accepted the answer.

"Nice save," Cassian muttered, hoping for a response. Of course, I didn't give him one. He sighed and shook his head, staring after me as I gathered my things.

The bell rang a few minutes later and I numbly made way for my dorm. I prided myself in lasting a full day, even if I had thought about her every second of it.

"Rhysand!" I high-pitched voice sounded through the hallway. Stares followed me as I picked up my pace, desperate to escape. I was too busy in getting out that I didn't notice that the light haired girl had somehow stopped right in front of me. I stilled abruptly to keep myself from crashing into her.

"What is it, Ianthe?" I gritted through my teeth. For the past week she'd been following me like some lost puppy, and I felt like yelling at her for it.

She twirled a piece of her pale blonde hair between her pink fingernails. White blonde, not golden brown. Oh, how I was wishing it was Feyre here in front of me and not this dimwit. But something inside of me knew that there was something under the dumb girl facade she was putting on. Her cold calculating blue eyes gave her away.

"Do you want to go to the football game with me tonight?" she asked. I imagined Feyre's soft pink lips against her freckled face, and of course that made every part of me hurt just by thinking of her.

"Why the hell would I want to go with you? I have a girlfriend!" I hissed harshly. Calling Feyre my girlfriend seemed like a joke, when she was so much more. She was a part of me, no label could ever define her.

Ianthe shrank back, tears welling up in her eyes. I scoffed. Could she get any more fake? I roughly pushed past her only to feel a hand clamp around my wrist.

"You didn't have to be so mean to her," Cassian said, disgusted. I shook of his grip and kept on walking. I wasn't even headed into the direction of my dorm anymore, but I just wanted to get _away,_ away from all of this mess. I wanted everything to freeze so that I could go look for her without interruption.

"Snap out of it, Rhysand!" Cassian shouted. A few students looked our way, but averted their attention when they saw my glare.

"You're not acting like yourself," Azriel said quietly.

"The world doesn't revolve around you," Cassian exasperated.

"Maybe it doesn't, but _my_ world certainly revolves around her," I whispered, my voice cracking.

"She can take care of herself," Azriel muttered. Clearly, it was the wrong thing to say.

"You don't know _anything_ about this!" I shouted, flinging my hands up and letting them fall. I dragged a hand roughly through my hair, pulling at the knots that had formed.

Their eyes softened. "We know about Tamlin and what he did to her," Cassian started. Just hearing that bastard's name set me off. I clenched my fists and punched the tree next to me, welcoming the pain that my shredded skin brought.

"Rhys!" they both exclaimed. I cradled my hand to my stomach, but it was almost as if the pain of my wound was drowned from the pain of my heart.

"He could be hurting her right now, or doing something worse," I croaked. Blood was dripping from my hand to the grass, the red splotches stark against the blades of the grass. "Where is she?" I whispered. I was so utterly lost without her.

"Let's go to the nurse," Azriel said softly. He took my arm and led me to what I presumed to be the nurse's office. They were silent throughout the whole thing, deflecting the question the nurse asked about how I did that to my hand. I didn't talk to them, or anyone else for the rest of the night.

* * *

 **Feyre POV**

"Feyre," _his_ voiced whispered. I could feel his breath on my face. I fearfully opened my eyes to find Tamlin hovering over me, smiling softly.

"What do you want?' I asked tiredly. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and emotionlessly stared back at his face.

"You've been behaving so nicely," he said, trailing a finger down my cheek. I shuddered, but apparently he took it the wrong way. Disgust coiled deep in my gut. For the past two weeks I'd been ever the obedient girl, cooking, washing dishes, and thank god Tamlin still hadn't laid a hand on me other than the small touches here and there to remind me that I was still _his._ "I'm going to let you go to school today," he whispered. A flicker of hope. "But today you have to tell him that you left on your own because you needed space, and now you want to break up with him. I will know if you do it or not," he continued.

And that hope was gone. Panic seized my brain. I thought I might have had more _time._ I nodded numbly and got out of bed. I couldn't let him see the tears that were filling my eyes or he'd have an excuse to use that gun of his. That gun that he keeps clearly in display at all times. In the two weeks I'd been here, I hadn't seen Lucien anywhere, but Tamlin assured me that _he was here_. I didn't know if that was a warning or just a mere fact.

Despite what I was supposed to do today, I felt slightly hopeful. I'd been stuck in this house for two weeks with no fresh air. I wasn't even allowed to open the window, but now he trusted me enough to go out. But this could be some sort of test, so I had to perform my best.

I never realized how reliant I was on Rhysand until now, when I went out of my mind during these two weeks. How much I treasured his smiles, or his laugh, or the small touches, or the kisses, or the light in his eyes. I hoped that once I did this, that light would never go out. I hoped he would get over me, move on and find someone less complicated and broken. I hoped that he wouldn't stop smiling, or laughing. I hoped that at least one of us would get out of this.

"Feyre?" Tamlin called just as I was about to shut the bathroom door. I tiredly turned around and looked at him with empty eyes.

He walked over to me and I shrunk back, cringing at the hunger in his eyes. He looked like a wild animal. Before I could even process what he was doing he forced his lips onto mine. I was paralyzed with fear and disgust. His lips moved cold and unrelenting on mine. He forced my lips open and shoved his tongue down my throat. I felt his hands clamp around both my wrists, hard enough to make me wince.

It was so unlike the way Rhys kissed me, with his soft lips and gentle hands. Whereas our kisses were full of sparks and passion, what I had with Tamlin was empty. So, so empty. His mouth left mine only to latch onto the skin between my neck and shoulder. When I finally conjured up the courage, I yanked my hands out of his grip and shoved him back hard enough to make him stumble a few steps.

"I thought we were getting somewhere, Feyre," he chided. His eyes were sparked with anger. "Don't make me reconsider what I'm granting you." I inwardly scoffed. _Granting me_ , as if letting me go out was a privilege and not a deserved right.

"I'm not ready yet," I pleaded, willing to look like the pathetic girl he saw me as.

"You were ready to pounce on _him_ when you were taken," Tamlin growled.

I bit back my retort. I willed tears into my eyes to show how _sorry_ I was. I didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed when he believed me. Apparently I was a better liar than I thought.

"Remember what happens if you disobey me," he threatened. I was shaking with fear. Not for myself, but for Rhysand. I had to do this, for him.

I nodded and headed into the bathroom, changing as fast as I could. I was about to exit when my eyes caught sight of myself in the mirror. I looked…terrible. My bones stuck out from my skin and my skin was pale and dry, but that's not what worried me. What worried me was the purple bruise between my shoulder and neck. The prick left a hickey. I didn't have any scarves to cover it up. I dropped my head into my hands and that's when I saw my wrists. They were already starting to bruise from the pressure of his hands. I realized with crippling agony that I was going to have to confront Rhys like this.

I found him waiting for me at the foot of the bed and hesitantly took a few steps forward.

"I need to go to my dorm to get my things first," my voice shook.

"I'm not driving you, Lucien is." My eyes widened. _So he was here._ "Feyre, I'll know who you talk to, what you say, where you go and when. Don't think you can get away with anything," he said threateningly. It was as if the privacy that had been deserved to me was stripped away as soon as he came back into my life… but maybe I didn't _deserve_ anything. "You know what you have to do. I'll let you decide when, but it has to be today," he finished. Oh, how he enjoyed pushing me around like a puppet.

If it was possible, my heart cracked even more. Maybe the pieces were so small by now that they were dust, ashes-more like.

I didn't bother eating breakfast, I just patiently waited by the door, however on the inside I was the opposite of patient. I tapped my foot repeatedly against the pristine granite flooring, once again wondering who owned this place. Seconds later, footsteps echoed throughout the foyer. I saw his brutal scar before I raised my gaze to his fearful one.

"Hello, Lucien," I spat.

"Feyre-"

"Come on, I'm going to be late," I interrupted, flinging the door open. I threw myself down the steps and stormed into the sleek black car-the same car he took me in. I heaved the door open and sat in the back seat, crossing my arms over my chest. He joined me a few moments later, trying to catch my eye in the mirror. I wasn't having any of it. I stubbornly fixed my gaze outside, trying to figure out where we were. It didn't help that I had never been in this town before.

After about twenty minutes of complete silence, we arrived at the school. I looked over the countless students milling about, laughing, talking. I wondered if I could ever be like them, if I could ever be _normal_. I gathered up my courage, not a lot of it, and launched myself out of the car without a second glance at Lucien. I all but ran to my dorm, hoping that Mor had left for breakfast. I didn't even know what time breakfast was scheduled for.

My legs grew tired easily after one flight of stairs and after the second, I was practically dead. I jammed my key into the lock and slowly crept the door open, cursing the creaking hinges. I peeked my head into the room, satisfied when I saw no one there. I quickly gathered my books that I'd bought a few days prior move in day, and shoved them into my bag. I was about to make my exit when a dramatic gasp held me frozen in place. I winced and decided that I could do nothing but turn around.

"Feyre?" Mor exclaimed, theatrically bringing a hand up to her open mouth. "What are you doing here? Where have you been? Rhys has been going crazy! We all have been! You're officially a missing person! Are you okay?" her questions rapidly came at me. I didn't know where to start. I couldn't tell her the _truth_. I should've came up with something in the car, or the two weeks I had alone.

"I'm a missing person?" I asked, even though that was the last thing on my mind.

Mor's eyes turned sad. "Feyre what happened?" she begged.

"Please, don't tell anyone. Don't tell Rhys. Not yet. I'll explain everything-"

"You better! And of course I'm going to tell Rhys! He looks like he's a walking corpse right now because of you!" she shouted, crossing her arms. Was Rhys really feeling that bad? I inhaled a deep breath, this wasn't going to be easy.

"My first class is with Rhys. I-I just need some time-"

"You've had two weeks! Two weeks Feyre! Could you at least tell me where you were?" she interrupted.

I shook my head. She threw her hand up in the air exasperatedly.

"Are you okay?"

Again, I shook my head, my bottom lip shaking and tears welling in my eyes.

"Please tell me," she pleaded. Her chocolatey eyes were so compelling, and I found myself wanting to tell her, wanting to tell _someone_. ' _I'll know who you talk to, what you say, where you go and when.'_ Tamlin's words rushed through my head and I snapped my mouth shut.

"I'm sorry. I just-I can't do this right now," I said, hoping she'd let me be. No such luck. I ignored her protests and ran back down the gruelling stairs.

I found myself in the right place for my first class. Hope and fear filled me every time I saw a head of raven black hair, but when the head turned it was never _him._ Eventually, the horde of students dwindled and pooled into the classroom. I was the last one at the door and I searched for an empty seat.

That's when I saw him. He was half a second away from looking up from his paper and spotting me. I quickly ducked behind some guy, but I could feel his eyes latched onto me. I ignored the pang in my chest and fought to keep from running toward him. Any unnecessary interactions would undoubtedly make me rethink what I had to do.

And I had to do it.

Or Rhys would get hurt.

I quickly scanned the room again and flung myself into the first unoccupied seat I saw. I kept my face forward, refusing to let him see my pooling eyes or trembling lips.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the late update. It's all wrapping up. I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you for all of the positive reviews.**


	15. The Lies

**Chapter 15-The Lies**

 **Rhysand's POV**

My heart dropped dead on the floor when I happened to glance at the doorway and saw a familiar shade of golden blonde hair walk in the class. Her face was blocked by some tall guy's shoulder and for a second, I silently scolded myself for getting my hopes up. She wasn't going to class today. She might never go to class, ever. I tried not to acknowledge the stinging in my eyes with the thought.

I started to wonder about the horror she must have been experiencing when the tall guy moved out of the way.

If I thought my heart stopped before, that was nothing compared to the screeching halt it came to when I saw Feyre standing a few feet away from me, clutching her books to her chest and keeping her eyes on the floor. I immediately stood up, about to make my way to her when the professor walked into class with promise of death in her eyes.

"Any one of you steps out of line, and you're out," she yelled, making me reluctantly slump back into my seat.

While the teacher droned on about the concept of philosophy, I studied Feyre. She was sitting a few rows in front of me and to the side, so I couldn't see her face that well.

But what I did see made my blood run cold.

Her eyes were sunken in, like she hadn't gotten any sleep in the two weeks she'd been-wherever the hell she was. Her cheeks were hollowed out, the way they might have been if she missed one too many meals lately. Something wasn't right. There was no way she could just disappear for two weeks without a word, then show up and not come to me.

My hands made their way into fists when I saw the hickey on her neck. That fucking son of a bitch.

I knew, without a doubt, where she had been the past two weeks. And I knew, if I ever saw Tamlin again, I would end his life without a second thought.

When the professor finally dismissed the class, I found myself running after Feyre, calling her name over and over. She was making her way to her next class, still holding onto her books, obviously trying to avoid me. I roughly pushed past anyone who got in my way, ignoring the disgruntled looks I got in the process.

I caught up to her and spun her around only to see tears pooling in her eyes. "Feyre, I was worried sick," I breathed as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and tucked her into me, finally back where she belonged. I felt so utterly relieved with her in my arms. I felt like I could laugh and cry at the same time. I felt like I could breath again, and I don't think I would've let her go, but instead of melting into my touch like I did with hers, she stiffened.

"No," she shrieked, frantically pushing me away and dropping her books in the process. She was looking at me with pure terror in her eyes when she breathlessly repeated, "no." I stared at her, confused. What did she mean _no?_ I reached for her hand again, desperate to make sure that _she was here_ , but she flinched back. What was going on? If this was another nightmare I was afraid I wouldn't be able to wake up sane. But this was all too real, all too real to be a dream. My mind couldn't conjure up this of a detailed scene. My mind couldn't conjure up the pain I was feeling.

My heart broke at the way her lips formed that godforsaken word, not knowing why she wouldn't allow me to get close enough to kiss those lips. I didn't know what was going on, or why she wouldn't let me touch her.

"Feyre, what's going on?" I asked, still staring at her in shock. She was standing in front of me, sleep deprived and half starved, but in one piece, and I couldn't even touch her. I couldn't even have the one reassurance in my life that kept me together.

Stop, I scolded myself. I was being selfish. This wasn't about me.

"I left on my own," she said, looking down at her feet. "I wanted some space." _She left on her own?_ At four in the morning? _Not likely_ , a voice in me said. _What if she isn't?_

She was lying. She _had_ to be lying.

But she never lied to me, and she never would. I tried to search her eyes for any hint of the truth. All I saw was pain and sadness and despair. I so desperately wanted to whisk away those emotions from her, so that she'd never feel them again. But she was repeating over and over, "I wanted some space."

So that meant she was serious.

My heart crashed to the ground, taking my happiness with it.

I was confused as to where this was going. I asked, "and now that you've had it?"

"I don't want to be with you anymore," she whispered, still not looking at me. The words rattled around in my head, causing my eyes to go out of focus for a second. I didn't want to think it true, but here she was: standing before me and telling me that she wanted to leave me. "Please don't try to make me change my mind, because it's already made up," her voice caught, but only a little.

I tried to contain the hurt that hit me like a punch to the gut. No. I changed my mind. This had to be some nightmare. I took a step forward. She took one back. My hands shook and I put them behind my back. What was happening? It felt like the whole world had slipped through my fingers.

"Feyre-" I started again, still hoping this was all some joke. How could she just decide that she didn't want to be with me anymore? After everything we'd been through? I tried to catch her gaze, but she kept ignoring me. Her eyes were shining and her lips quivering, but she wouldn't take it back. "That's it? You just decided that I wasn't worth it anymore? That _we_ weren't worth it anymore?" I asked desperately.

"Stop-"

"I've been through hell in the past two weeks, Feyre! I know who you were with, and I could see what he's done to you! I've missed you so much, Feyre. Can't you see what you're doing to me? I can't live without you," I whispered, my voice failing at the end.

"I can't do this," she whispered back.

"I thought you loved me," I knew I was being selfish, but I needed to hear it. I needed to hear her say it. One last time.

I thought she would start crying, but instead her voice came out evenly. "No. I don't, Rhysand. I'm still in love with Tamlin."

 _I'm still in love with Tamlin_.

 _I'm still in love with Tamlin_.

 _I'm still in love with Tamlin_.

I didn't know what was worse, the fact that she uttered those words, or that she seemed to believe them. This time I couldn't control the stinging in my eyes. I closed my eyes for a moment and let out a shuddering breath. How could she still love him? I thought I was worth more to her than that. I thought she's known what he was doing to her, what he was _still_ doing to her.

"Did you ever mean it? All those times when you said you loved me?" I brought my hand up to my mouth and covered my trembling lips.

She shook her head once, twice. I could see the pain, the sadness, the hopelessness in her eyes and wondered if those exact emotions were reflected in my own.

"Feyre I-"

"Please, don't," she said, her voice cracking.

"I just need to say it one more time," I pleaded. She nodded once, still not looking at me, and I said, "I love you. Feyre, I love you and I don't think I'll ever stop loving you." I waited for her to say something, anything. It seemed like eternity before she tore her gaze away from me, and I felt something shatter inside of me.

"I need you to let me go," she whispered. And the thought of it-the thought of letting her go…I'd rather die than let her go.

"I-I can't. I won't. Feyre, I need you with me. Don't make me-don't do this," I begged.

"It's already done," her voice quavered.

No, I wanted to shout. No, no, no! She couldn't do this, not when I needed her the most. Not when I'd gone batshit crazy without her for two weeks.

"I'm sorry," was all she said before she bent down to pick up her books. I caught sight of the bruises on her arm when her sleeve lifted.

I saw nothing but red in that moment, at the fact that she chose that monster over me. I'd thought she knew what she wanted-I thought she wanted to get away from him, but the sight of her looking back at me with goodbye written in her eyes told me otherwise. In that moment, I've never truly felt hatred, pure, boiling hatred-for him. I wanted to squeeze his neck and see the life drain out of his eyes.

 _Look at what you've done! Look at what you've done to her!_ I wanted to shout into his face. Because this beautiful, wonderful person had come into my life and he ripped her away from me in two weeks.

He took her when she wasn't his to take. She wasn't anyone's to take. She should've had a choice, and apparently this was it. And even though every cell in my body was screaming at me to protest, to beg, to get on my knees if I had to, I couldn't take away the one thing she deserved- _a choice._

As much as I wanted to pin the entirety of the blame on him, I was just running away from the truth. The horrible truth. Truth made it's way into my head, destroying my heart in the process.

 _It was all my fault_. Every decision I made, it wasn't good enough. I should've treated her better. I should've told her I loved her when I realized it. I was too stupid to admit that I'd fallen in love with her when I saw her smile. When her smile lit up the whole day, lit up something inside of me. And when I did tell her, I should've told her more often. I should've been there for her more. I should've showered her with praise-because that's what she deserved. She deserved more, and maybe I just wasn't enough.

I should've done this and that, but it didn't change anything. I shouldn't have let my mind get in the way of anything. I was scared, so scared to admit those _feelings_. Because I'd never felt it before, I'd never thought I could. It was maddening, it drove me crazy. It made me want to do terrible and wonderful things.

Despite all these things that I felt for her, I guess it didn't change the way she felt about me. That she was so repulsed by me that she couldn't even look me in the eye, that she seemed like she couldn't wait for this conversation to be over-for _this_ , this thing between us to be over. And if her last wish was for me to be gone, for me to get out of her life, so be it.

I'd do it-for her, even if it destroyed me in the process, but I also couldn't let him destroy her. If she didn't want me anymore, fine. I would let myself be thrown away, but I. Woudn't. Let. Tamlin. Break. Her.

So I forced my mind to detach itself from my heart, I forced my tongue to utter words that I didn't mean, and I managed to whisper, "so am I," even though I wasn't. I wasn't sorry. I wasn't sorry for the time I had with her. I wasn't sorry for the stolen kisses or the sleepless nights. I wasn't sorry for loving her with everything I had, even if it still wasn't enough for her.

It was impossible to be sorry for the only light in my life, but the light was gone now, winked out as if it had never been there-as if she'd never been there. My heart was straining, so close, too close to exploding. I wanted it gone, I wanted the pain gone-the throbbing heart wrenching pain.

I whispered the lie and walked away. I needed to walk away. I couldn't stand to watch her leave one more time, like she already had. Every step was an effort, a strain. My heart was connected to hers and every step I took pulled and _pulled_ at it. I was only at ease when she was near. I thought it would burst out of my chest, and perhaps it had. Because she was a part of me. She said she let me go, _but she took me with her_.

I was right there, but my heart stayed with her, always with her. She took a piece of me, of my soul, and suddenly I felt tired, so _so_ tired. I wished I hadn't fell for her, but I was happy I did. I wished she didn't say she loved me, but I was thankful she did. My feeling were contradicting each other. My mind was telling me to forget about her, but my heart was telling me to _fight for her, get her back_. My mind was telling me that it was stupid to fall for her.

And I did.

I fell so hard.

I fell so hard that my heart cracked on the impact. I fell through the floor and into the burning pits of hell. And I couldn't get back up. I couldn't get back up because _I was still falling._

I wondered if this aching feeling would ever go away. I wondered when it'd stop. I already knew the answer-because even if the world was remade, even if the world had somehow combusted, some part of me, _all of me_ , would always love her-and there was nothing I could ever do about it.

I tried to contain the emotion boiling within me, but it was coming off of me in waves. Everybody's eyes darted quickly away from me as I stalked back to my dorm.

I was a crumbling pillar of trembling rage.

Skin and bones were the only things holding me together, my heart would've been out of my body if they weren't. I was too immersed in my thoughts to notice the petite body in front of me.

"Oh!" she gasped dramatically, falling backwards.

I was too surprised to move, and she fell hard on her back. Her hair was a jumbled blonde mop on her face and only when she flicked it out of the way I recognized her. With as much dignity she could muster, she scrambled to her feet. Well no wonder she fell, she was clad in a pair of sky high heels.

I didn't even mutter an apology and I shoved past her. She caught my wrist and her long nails scratched my skin.

"Rhys! I didn't see you there!" she shrilled. I winced against the high pitched sound that was her voice.

"Sorry Ian. I have to go," I muttered, trying to shake off her death grip.

"My name is _Ianthe_ ," she simpered. I softly groaned and closed my eyes. I didn't need this. I needed _out._ I felt a headache throbbing.

"I don't care," I hissed, finally managing to pry her fingers away without hurting her.

She fashioned her lips into an exaggerated pout.

"Look, I'm not in the mood for any of this," I exasperated, dragging a hand through my hair.

"Why, because you broke up with your girlfriend?" she sneered. I sucked in a sharp breath and sent away the stinging pain that came with her words.

I glared at her, vicious enough to have her back away a few steps.

"Don't assume things," I gritted out.

She placed her hands on her lips and let out a cruel laugh. "Everyone saw it! It's better this way. You did the right thing breaking up with that bitch," she snorted.

I clenched my hands into fists and shoved them into my pockets.

"Listen here, you have _no_ right calling her a bitch. If I hear you, or anyone else say _anything_ about her…" I trailed off, letting the bite of my words and the look on my face finish the sentence. I stormed past her and added over my shoulder, "I didn't break up with her, by the way. If it was my choice, she'd still be here with me." Ianthe glared at me, her pale lips set in a thin line.

I faced forward again and saw shining blue-grey eyes staring petrified back at me. Her slender hands were covering her mouth and before I could open my mouth to call out to her, she was gone, her golden brown hair bouncing in it's braid between her shoulders. I bit my lip and fisted my hands in my hair. _I couldn't take it anymore_.

* * *

 **Feyre POV**

I didn't remember when I started to run. I barely noticed the surprised people who leaped out of the way, the trees zooming beside me, I just wanted to escape. I needed a safe place to let it all out. I was sobbing as I ran, everything inside me hurt.

When I felt like my throat was burning, I finally allowed myself to stop. To breath. Even when it hurt so, so much. I was holding onto the tree beside me, it was the only thing keeping me up. I could only taste my salty tears coating every inch of my face at that point.

The whole conversation had been a mess. All I wanted to do was to whisk Rhys far, far away. Away from Tamlin.

I almost vomited just thinking about him.

I told Rhys I _loved_ Tamlin…and he believed me. He believed me, and the pure devastation written on his face made me want to rip my heart out. I kept spewing lie after lie, and he took it. Each word I said was a slap in the face, for both him and me. I was shooting word after word, hitting him exactly where I knew it'd hurt. It'd done it's job. I just hoped that Rhys would be smart enough to _let me go_. When I'd said it I barely got the words out, choking on them.

 _I left on my own._ He took me, Rhys, I wanted to say. He took me and I had no choice.

 _I needed some space._ I can't stand to be away from you. I wish I would have let you hug me just a little bit longer.

 _I don't want to be with you anymore._ I've never wanted anything more in the entire world.

 _I don't love you._ I love you with all my heart. Every part of me loves you. I love you so much I'm drowning. Love is too weak of a word for what I feel for you.

 _I'm still in love with Tamlin._ It's happening again, Rhys, please help me. I need to get away from him.

 _I need you to let me go._ I need you. Don't let me go. Please, please, don't. I can't lose you. You're all I have left. But you have Amara. I can't put you in danger. My life is nothing compared to yours.

 _I'm sorry._ I am sorry. I am so sorry I have to do this. I'm sorry you met me. It would save us both so, so much pain.

I'd watched the color drain from his face, the growing frown, the glassy eyes, _oh those eyes_ , his trembling lips, and his clenching fists.

And I knew, I knew that I'd successfully broken him, and that fact alone made it so much worse. I knew exactly what buttons to push, I knew exactly how to make him hate me.

I hoped it worked. If he hated me, it'd make things so much easier.

I hoped he hated me, I certainly hated myself.

 _I'm doing this for you!_ I wanted to scream. _That prick will kill you!_

And when he told me he loved me, like he'd never say it again… I realized how it felt to be truly loved, I realized that was the last time I'd ever hear those words sincerely said to me again.

I cried and sobbed and screamed until my throat was sore, until my eyes couldn't produce anymore tears, until I was completely and utterly empty on the inside. I felt like I was starving. I was completely deprived of the one good thing in the world. It was like putting a plate of fresh food in front of me and telling me not to eat after days of hunger.

I could die. I could die from the pain in my chest, or the wanting, or the love. It was not lust, not even _just_ love, it was something so much more. And it's gone. Because of me. It's all my fault. And I hoped, _I hoped_ it would get better because I didn't know how much longer I could take it. How much longer the ache inside of my gaping heart would hurt. I wondered if it would ever heal. I wondered if the Rhysand sized hole in my heart would ever go away. I knew the answer. It wouldn't. He was permanently etched into my very being. I just hoped the pain would _leave_. I'd rather die than face him after what I'd done. I just would rather die than live.

After I poured my heart and my soul out into the open, I walked back to the dorm as an emotionless corpse. So that was what life was like without Rhysand. And I'd only lasted two weeks before combusting.

x

I went into my dorm, not even attempting to be stealthy. I didn't care if Mor caught me. I didn't care if she saw me like this, probably looking like a rabid animal. Unfortunately, she did. Her attitude took me by surprise. She looked furious, her mouth set in a thin line, her eyes dancing with anger. I was slightly taken aback, but I welcomed it. As long as it wasn't pity.

"Do you know-do you know what you've done?" she breathed, walking towards me. I lifted my head up for a moment, taking in her beautiful features. I dropped my head again and trudged toward my bed.

"You've destroyed him, Feyre!" she shouted. I physically flinched and her face softened just a bit. "I thought you loved him," she sighed. She was searching, searching for an answer I wouldn't be able to give her.

No. I couldn't do this. Not again.

I opened my mouth, but couldn't seem to let out any words. They'd abandoned me. They'd seen how I abused them, how I so awfully lied with them.

"You know, I've never seen Rhys cry before." Her words were like a slap to the face, harder than Tamlin could've ever hit. "But when he found out you were gone… he was a train wreck. He's been a train wreck ever since. Now I know this isn't any of my business, but Rhys is my _family_. And I _never_ want to see that again. I never want to see him like that. So do us all a favor and if you're not going to be with him, which you're making a _huge_ mistake about, then _leave him alone._ "

 _Leave him alone._

I was on the verge of tears, but I wouldn't let them spill. I wouldn't let her know how much I was actually hurting because she'd know. She'd know something was off.

"I plan on it," I said finding my voice. Walls were building themselves again. The walls that were oh, so carefully taken down by Rhys; they were up again. The remains of my heart were now closed off. The shattered pieces wouldn't be picked up again. I didn't deserve to have them put back together. I deserved to feel all this hurt.

"You're making a mistake," she said. I saw that she wasn't mad anymore. She was disappointed. I wanted to laugh out loud. If only she knew I was protecting her too.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the crazy updates. Thank you all for being incredibly supportive and patient. Trust me, I know firsthand how annoying it can be when an author doesn't update and believe me when I say I'm doing the best I can.**

 **I want to give a special shoutout to one of the commenters: GIGI. OMG, you've been so amazing. Your comments literally light up my day. I'm so surprised that you think so highly of this story and I'm glad you like it so much.**

 **Thank you to every one else who took the time to read and comment on this story too. It doesn't go without notice. I read every single one of your comments.** **My favorite comments go to GIGI and FEYREGIRL. Love you guys.**

 **Once again, thank you for being patient. Don't give up on this story just yet ;).**


	16. The Girl

**Chapter 16-The Girl**

" _I saw them," she said into the night. Though she couldn't see the man, with his blonde hair and evil eyes, she knew he was somewhere around her._

 _Watching her. Always watching._

" _Details," the man's voice demanded from behind her. She whipped around, blonde hair flying in her eyes, to face the voice, readying her report. She only saw a flash of green eyes before they were gone. "Now," rumbling behind her again, far from where he'd just been. She didn't know how he moved so quickly, so silently, in the dead of night. Ever since she'd met him, she'd known that he wasn't normal; there was something feral where his heart should be._

 _Her crippling fear caused her words to tremble, "they put on a show right in the middle of the grass. It seemed real, but then I saw them sneaking into the medical department after hours." She knew the best lies were born and raised from the truth. Yes, they'd been pretty dramatic in their parting words. Yes, it was quite a show. But she hadn't seen them sneaking off, and by the way the boy snapped at her when she bumped into him, she knew the break up was real._

 _She'd had her sights set on him for years, having gone to school with him in high school. He'd always been so popular, so regal, and he never noticed her. He'd walk by her in the hall and as her insides flipped and twirled, he didn't even give her a passing glance._

 _But just when she was about to make her move, that horrid girl came into the picture and brainwashed him into loving her._

 _She had seen the way his violet eyes looked at that girl at his sister's birthday party. He looked like he was happy, and she would have done anything to be the source of that happiness. Would have done anything to get rid of that girl._

 _And somehow, the girl's ex-lover had found her and cut her a deal. Spy for him, and he'd take the girl away and get her out of her hair._

 _She couldn't find it in her to refuse his offer, even when she'd seen the headlines on the news._

 _She stood there for a minute before she heard nothing but the crunch of leaves under his feet, heading away from her. If she'd heard him, it was because he wanted her to. Which meant this meeting was done._

 _As she walked back to her dorm, she thought of all the opportunities that she could have once the girl was gone for good._

* * *

 **Feyre POV**

It had been a week since I'd last talked to Rhys-since I had to end things, and I thought about him every day. The way his face fell when I told him I loved Tamlin. _Don't make me,_ he'd said.

I almost broke when he'd said those words, almost damned the consequences and pulled him into my arms, never to let him go. And when I saw him in class in the days after, saw how he wouldn't-couldn't-look at me, I wanted to scream at him to _please forgive me, I'm so so sorry. Please kiss me and wrap me in your arms so I can forget the rest of the world. For the love of god, Rhysand, please just look at me!_

But there was a threat hanging over his head, and he didn't even know about it.

His life was on the line, and it was my responsibility.

When he told me he loved me for the last time, I knew then. I'd rather have been dead than hear the hopelessness of those words coming out of his mouth. I'd rather take my own life then to face the guilt, the aching feeling inside the emptiness of my heart. I was a cruel, terrible human being. I didn't deserve him. I never did. Those few, precious moments I had with him were a gift. But they were also a curse-to him. What 19 year old had to live with a dysfunctional girlfriend with an even more dysfunctional ex? He was better off without me. I just hoped he realized it too.

His violet eyes were so void of life when I walked away, when I saw him snap at that girl. How many times have I dreamt of those eyes, how many times have I wished it was _me_ he was looking at? _Me_ he was smiling his beautiful smile at? _Me_ he blessed with his infinite love?

Cuts and scrapes appeared on my arms as I carelessly ran through the enclosing of woods behind the school. I didn't even remember how I'd gotten there in the first place.

I was so ensconced in my thoughts that I didn't notice the hands reaching for me from the bushes until it was too late. Strong fingers wrapped around my arms and pulled me through the trees. The sheer possessiveness in the touch gave away who it was. I wanted him to let go. I physically felt sick from the touch of his bare skin on mine.

He mercilessly dragged me further and further, so hard I thought my arm would pop out of its socket. The sense to scream came too late to me, and as I opened my mouth his hand had already clamped it shut.

"I gave you one thing to do!" Tamlin bellowed in my face when we finally stopped, deep in the woods. "One fucking thing and you can't even do it right!"

His words struck fear straight into my heart. What was he talking about?

My expression was a mix between horrified and confused, and when he saw it, he seethed, "don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"I've done everything you've asked," my voice shook. I held my hands up in front of me, slowly trying to back away.

"Everything I said? Did I tell you to sneak off with your lap dog right after breaking up with him?" he spat. What was going on? What did that even mean?

I stood my ground, "I never snuck off with-"

My words were cut off by a sharp pain in my cheek and eye, and I had to blink a few times to keep from crying. It didn't work, tears slipped down my cheeks instantly. "Don't you dare lie to me, I have spies everywhere," he said.

"Tamlin, I'm telling the truth. Please, I didn't do anything," I pleaded, clutching my face. This time it was a punch, connecting with my jaw and sending me flying to the ground. Black spots clouded my vision and I fought to keep consciousness. The pain had me out of breath, gasping for air. He _never_ hit me like this before. He was crossing some nonexistent line, a line that even I never would've thought he'd cross. I was done, over with.

He crouched above me, baring his teeth and growling, "do not lie to me."

I was trembling. I tried to look for a possible escape route but I found none. _He's going to kill me,_ I thought. He'd finally had enough. He thought I was a useless peice of trash like everyone else. And for a moment, I _wanted_ him to kill me. What good had I done in my 19 years of living? I brought despair and hurt to everyone I knew. So what else did I have to offer?

Something flashed in my vision, something silver and black. My mind began ticking, seeing if I could possibly reach it. So I let him get closer. I let him hold my face in his hands, only so that he was occupied. His lips were so close, so close. I shuddered from disgust. But I had to let him get close, I had to let him believe I was giving up.

My eyes went straight to his gun, tucked in his waistband, when his shirt lifted. I instantly flicked my attention away, not wanting him to know what I was thinking or what I was going for.

His hands were on me now. He was holding my shoulders with such strength that I thought the very bones would shatter. He let go of my right shoulder and instead gripped my chin. I winced at the sore skin he was holding. He was backing me up against a tree. My heart beat faster and faster. I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. So the next thing I did was the most irrational, but exhilarating thing that I'd ever done. I pretended that his close proximity didn't bother me, and when he was close enough that our chests were almost touching, I reached out and closed my fingers around the cool metal of the gun. I knew what I had to do next. I pulled the trigger, not caring where I aimed. _BANG._

His eyes widened, his mouth forming an 'o' shape. He seemed so surprised the sight was almost comical. His features turned feral and just as he was about to lunge I leaped away. He was clutching his stomach, the blood seeping through his green shirt. He growled so loud, and despite the wound he tried to get closer.

"You _bitch,"_ he wheezed. The impact of what I'd done hit me, and I started backing away. He made one final desperate reach for me, but I was already gone.

Run, run, _run._ I didn't think about where I was going, I just left Tamlin bleeding on the ground and sprinted back to campus. Branches caught in my hair and ripped my shirt, but I didn't-couldn't-slow down. I had to get away, as far as possible.

With each step, my jaw and cheekbone throbbed and I could feel blood sliding down my neck. My eye was already starting to swell. As I got closer, the tears fell faster. By the time I actually saw the university, I was sobbing and holding my face.

Before I bolted into the open square, I panicked, realizing I still had the gun in my hand. I threw it in my bag, the blood tinting everything in red. All I saw was red, red, red. I ran.

And ran.

And ran.

I ran until I ended up in front of a door, cursing my feet for bringing me here. My feet were still living in the past, bringing me to the one place they knew I would be safe, cared for. But that was the past, and I would be lucky if I didn't get the door slammed in my face.

Rhysand's room.

I stood there frozen in front of the door for a solid minute, debating if I should to go to my room and risk Tamlin or one of his lackeys capturing me again.

But I was already here.

So with the one hand not holding my face, I softly knocked on the door. I almost laughed at the deja-vu of the situation.

* * *

(A/N): *does awkward jazz hands* Surprise! I'm alive. I'm not going to tell you that I'm filled over my capacity with work because (although that's the truth) you're probably sick of hearing it. I just needed to take a break from everything and focus on school. And I have to say, if it weren't for your reviews, I don't know if I would have continued. But I'm thanking you guys for all your reviews, it really reminds me that I'm not only writing because _I_ want to, but I'm writing because I want to share this with other people, and it hopefully, having a positive impact on people.

Please tell me in the reviews or if you have a tumblr (mine is rowanandaelinareotp) or an instagram (rowanaelinfeysand) please tell me how much longer you want this story to go. I don't know if you just want it done and over with, or make it much much longer. Is it a thing if you want to follow me on my personal instagram or something? I'd love it if I got the chance to know you guys. Those are all things (and any other questions) you can ask me.

I'm so grateful to all of you guys. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and more to come. Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for sticking with me.


	17. The Shot

**Chapter 17-The Shot**

 **Rhysand POV**

I heard soft knocks on the door, but I didn't make any effort to get up and answer it. I was lying face down on my bed my pillow providing an excellent barrier to everything around me. I waited for Cassian and Azriel to go and open the door, but then remembered they headed out to grab a bite. They didn't ask me if I wanted to join, already knowing what my answer would be.

I contemplated just lying on my bed for the rest of the day, rather than actually getting up, but I decided to get some blood flowing in my legs. I caught sight of my reflection as I walked to the door. My hair was messier than usual, my face had hollowed, and my eyes were sunken in. All because of… _no. I wouldn't think about her._

I swung the door open tiredly, and my heart started beating in a pattern that was dangerous. My breaths came out suddenly in labored pants and I couldn't process the sight before me. My tongue was stuck and I _couldn't breath_. It was _sickening_. I turned and vomited in the plant pot that was lying unceremoniously next to the door. I was glad that Cassian had insisted on putting that there in that instant. I wiped my mouth and stared at her in shock. Was I still dreaming?

"Are you okay?" she gasped rushing forward, forgetting that she wasn't suppose to do that anymore. She shouldn't care if I was okay. She made that plenty clear. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. If it were true… then she was standing here, at my door, looking like _that._ She had her hands behind her back, hiding something.

I jerked back, and a flash of hurt crossed her eyes. "Am _I_ okay?" I exclaimed. Her eyes widened and she shrunk back. "Am _I_ okay?" I repeated. "Have you seen yourself? What the hell did he _do_ to you?" My voice was shaking with rage, not at her, but at that sick bastard. I knew it was him. I knew what he did to her. I shouldn't have let her go back to him. This was all my fault.

Her lips trembled and her eyes filled to the brim with tears; I noted that her eyes were already red rimmed. My heart broke at the sight of her. If I thought _I_ looked bad, she was 10 times worse. I was shaking with the effort not to scream, not to go and strangle that bastard.

She looked like a walking skeleton. Her skin was pulled taut over her fragile bones, her eyes were holding bags too large and too dark for her small pale face. Her face blossomed with purples and blues and reds. There were angry marks on her cheek, on her jaw, _everywhere_.

 _Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. I was going to kill him. I would rip him apart. No one would get in the way._ He touched her, he hurt her, he acted like he owned her. _No one owned her. No one was allowed to lay a hand on her without her permission_. I wasn't sure how she was functioning, her eye already swelling shut. I'd gotten in a fair share of brawls in high school, but never, _never_ , have I seen someone so thoroughly _broken._ I felt like he'd hit me. I felt like he hurt me, punched me in the gut. Feyre was apart of me, what he did to her, he did to me as well.

I brought my fist up to my mouth and bit my knuckles. _What did he do to her?_ I dragged my eyes away from her face and saw blood coating her hands, dripping onto the floor. Panic flooded my vision as I saw each drop of blood drip onto the floor. I rushed forward, noting how she flinched. _He was going to pay._ I grabbed her hands gently and inspected them. I searched for blood on her body, but I couldn't find it. I tried to find where else she was hurt. Where was the blood coming from?

"Where are you hurt. Tell me, Feyre. Where did he hurt you?" I said frantically, actively searching everywhere for the source of blood. Her hands tightened in mine and my chest tightened. I looked into her eyes, her beautiful eyes that were nearly swelled shut. I was panting with fury. She didn't deserve this. He deserved to go to hell for this.

"I-" she started choking up. I shut the door behind her and locked it as she paced the room, clutching her hair and squeezing her eyes shut. My heart thumped violently in my chest. She was so close, but not near enough. She didn't realize what she was doing to me. She made all rational thoughts fly out of my head. _Because you're so god damned in love with her you idiot,_ a voice said inside my head. _You can't survive without her_.

"Feyre, what happened?" I begged. "What did he do to you?" I gently grabbed her shoulders to steady her and she looked up at me. I could tell something was horribly wrong.

"I shouldn't have done that," she whispered, her eyes staring petrified in mine.

"What did you do, Feyre?"

"He's going to kill me," she whimpered, her shaking hands covering her mouth.

"He's not going anywhere _near_ you," I breathed, nostrils flaring.

"I'm already dead." My blood ran cold. It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie, right before the main character gets brutally murdered.

 _I'm already dead._

 _I'm already dead._

 _I'm already dead._

"Goddamnit Feyre, what happened?" I pleaded, if only to get her words out of my head.

"I shot him," she said. She started hyperventilating. "I shot him. I shot him. Oh my god. I can't believe I did it. I can't believe I actually shot him. What if he dies? What if he doesn't? What if he tells someone?" Her breathing became ragged and she was gasping with the effort to get some oxygen in her lungs. She slunk to the floor, pulling me along with her.

"You-what?" I exclaimed. We were sitting across from eachother, but it felt like a great distance apart. I wanted her next to me, but I still wasn't sure what was happening. I wasn't sure what it meant that she came to _me. She left you. She doesn't love you anymore._ My breath was knocked out of me. But what if… what if she still loved me?

"I had no other choice! He was-I don't know what he was going to do, but he was _mad._ He-oh my god what did I do?" she cried.

"You shot that bas-you shot Tamlin?" I spat his name out. I didn't believe what I was hearing.

She looked horrified as she nodded. My jaw dropped to the floor.

I thought she loved him. Or… no. I wouldn't go down that road again. But it seemed like I was already there.

"Feyre, I don't understand. You need to tell me _everything_ ," I pleaded. Touching her, holding her hands made my heart go into a frenzy. I felt like I could breath again, but seeing her like this…

"I-I can't" she sobbed. Her hair fell around her face, bits of leaves tangled in it. Her eyes started darting around, as if looking for some kind of threat.

"Feyre, you need to tell me. I don't understand what's going on!"

"I can't tell you. I shouldn't be here," she sniffed, but she made no effort to move.

"Why not?"

"Because I love you!" she exploded. "I'm supposed to be keeping you safe!"

I froze. This was a dream-no a nightmare. She couldn't have just said that. She what? "You-you still love me?" I whispered. She let out a soft laugh, void of humor. She wrung her hands and nodded.

"I never stopped loving you, Rhys," her voice broke. "I know you probably hate me after what I had to do-"

"Feyre, I-I wanted to hate you. I wanted to hate you so much for what you did. But it's impossible for me to hate you. I love you so much it hurts," I whispered. I pinched myself subtly. Feyre was here, in front of me, telling me she had just shot Tamlin, telling me _she still loved me_. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry-or both. "What do you mean what you _had_ to do?" I added, picking out what she had just said.

She began tracing patterns with her blood crusted fingers on the back of my hand and my heart starting racing.

"You think I _wanted_ to break up with you?" she asked. "Oh god, Rhys. I'm so, so sorry."

"You have _nothing_ to apologize for," I interrupted. She didn't want to break up with me? Then why…? I was dying to know what happened, what he did.

"Where do I even start?" she whispered.

"The beginning."

"He kidnapped me," she started hesitantly. I stilled, my blood racing through my veins. _I knew it_. "I had a nightmare that night and I couldn't sleep. I went to take a walk, and I didn't see him! He took me into a car. Lucien was driving it," she sobbed.

"The cop?" I asked, my eyes wide. "He was in on it too?"

She nodded. "He helped Tamlin escape. They took me to this huge mansion. He made me stay with him. He told me that he would let me go if I broke up with you. So I did, then I don't know what happened. He thought I was still seeing you behind his back. He hit me today. He's never been that mad. I thought he was going to kill me. I saw the gun and I took my chance," she broke out in a new wave of tears, and I could do nothing but hold her hand tighter. "I'm so selfish. I'm a terrible person."

"Feyre, none of this is your fault! How are you blaming yourself for any of this? He deserves worse." I pulled her into my arms, holding her to my chest while she cried. I hoped he was enjoying every second of his miserable pain.

"He's going to kill me-" she whispered onto my shirt.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell anyone?"

She looked up at me and shook her head vigorously.

"Please, Feyre. I want to help you. I can't-," I took her face in my hands, gently inspecting the scattered bruises. "I can't stand to see you like this. I can't stand to see what he's done to you. Why didn't you come to me sooner?"

"He's going to kill you. He said that he'd kill you. He'd kill you and Amara… or worse," she cried. "He said that if I didn't break up with you he'd hurt you. He'd do it Rhys. He has-had a gun. You can't underestimate him."

My mouth popped open. All this time I thought she broke up for me because she wanted to. I never considered that this could be bigger than us. _I_ was the selfish person. I wanted to scream and cry and shout and _hit something, hit him_.

"I'm sorry, Rhys," she apologized.

"I don't want you to apologize for anything ever again," I said. I couldn't believe any of it.

"If you hadn't met me you'd never be in danger."

"You went back to him. You went through all of that _for me?"_

"Rhys, you have your whole life ahead of you. You have Amara to take care of. You have a cousin and friends who care about you. I have no one. If I died no one would care. I would just be another dead body." I physically flinched. She seemed to believe the words that were spilling out of her mouth. "But if you died, you'd have people who's miss you. You have people who love you. You have people who _care_. People who you don't even know worship the ground you walk on. Everyone needs you. But me… I have no use. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you died because of me. What's forfeiting my life if it means that the people I love will be able to live theirs?"

"You're wrong," I croaked. She looked up, surprised. "You're _wrong_. You have Mor and Azriel and Cassian. You have _me_. If you died… I would _never_ find a way back from that. Feyre, you don't understand how much you mean to me. You are worth so much more. You're life is worth so much more. Don't ever think that no one would notice because _I'd_ notice. Am I not enough? I need you, Feyre. I've never needed anything more in my life. My life isn't complete without you. I _love_ you. I love you and there's no going back. There's no going back from the love I have for you. It's stronger than anything that I've ever felt." There, I said it. I'd needed to tell her ever since she walked away from me a week ago. It had been burning up inside of me day and night and it was finally out.

"So you understand why I did what I did?"

"I don't care what you had to do, we're going to fix this."

She shook her head, closing her eyes. "He'll kill you."

"I don't care."

"Don't say that. Do not say that," she said, suddenly angry. "What about Amara?"

"He won't kill me _or_ Amara." Even as I said it, I knew I couldn't ensure it.

"You don't know that."

"I know that I love you and nothing will stop me from that. Nothing will stop me from protecting you."

"I can't just be another one of your responsibilities."

"We've had this conversation before."

"It's true-"

"It's not."

"Why?"

"Because _I love you_. Don't you love me?" The last time I had asked that, her answer had been no. I didn't know if I could handle it if history repeated itself.

"More than anything," she breathed, her eyes holding mine. My heart skipped a beat. Or two.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes." No hesitation, pure trust. I wondered what I'd done to earn it, to deserve it, deserve her.

"We can do this," I assured.

"Do what?"

"What we started. We take him out of the picture. For good. Together."

"Together?" she asked scared. "I can't be the reason you're hurt."

"I've been hurting ever since you've been gone, Feyre. Don't you see what you're doing to me? You're breaking me apart."

"Rhys," her voice quavered.

"You don't have to be scared."

"I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing will."

"He has spies everywhere. He'll know."

"We'll be careful. I-I can't be away from you. I barely lasted two hours. I can't live without you."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I held mine.

"I love you," I whispered.

"It won't work." I sensed a 'but' coming. "But what other choice do I have?"

"You always have a choice," I said. But going back to him wasn't one. We didn't even know if he was still alive.

"You're always going to be my choice," she whispered. My heart got stuck in my throat.

"I-"

I couldn't finish my sentence as she closed the gap between us and her lips were suddenly on mine. I felt a million things at once. My mind was still comprehending that _she was here. She was here and she was kissing me._ I took no time to respond. I was practically inhaling her in. I gently took her battered face in my hands and for a moment I broke away from the kiss, marveling at the beautiful sight before me. Her eyes held more secrets than any other 19 year old's should. I traced the freckles on her skin and she shuddered under my touch.

It was a miracle-a miracle that she could look at a man, _be_ with a man after what he'd done to her. A miracle that _she'd chosen me._

Her slender fingers traced the lines of my mouth, my cheek, my jaw. I could do this forever, I thought. I wouldn't ever get tired of this. Just us together. She was on my lap now, my face in between both her hands when I noticed she was crying.

"What's wrong?" I whispered, placing my hands on her waist.

"I can't believe this is real," she marvelled, her voice breaking. My heart exploded in my chest at the broken girl before me. At that moment, I made it my job to pick up her pieces and put her back together.

"This is real."

She crashed her lips back on mine and I was suddenly lying on my back on the carpeted floor. Her soft body was flush against mine, making all coherent thoughts fly out of my head. I could feel the hard beating of her heart against mine.

I'd do anything to keep that heart beating.

Her silky hair fell like a curtain around our faces. The moment was ruined a few minutes after.

"Rhys we saved you some leftoverrrrrs- _Jesus Christ_ when did _this_ happen?" Cassian shrieked. Feyre and I pulled apart with a gasp, our breathing ragged. She stared horrified back at me, bringing her fingers up to her lips as if she couldn't believe what had just happened. I had a hard time believing it myself. She tried to climb off but I held her waist with one hand. I propped myself up on one elbow, looking at them over her shoulder. Her back was to them and I suddenly realized why she was trying to cover her face with her hair.

"Thanks for knocking," I said dryly. My voice cracked and I tried to cover it up by clearing my throat.

"Why is there vomit in my plant?" Cassian asked, crossing his arms. I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "For the love of god Rhys! Can you explain what's going on?"

"And please tell me that's Feyre," Azriel added quietly. I glared at him and he held his hands up in surrender. "Just wondering."

"It's a long story," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Feyre?" Cassian inquired, a hint of hope in his voice. Slowly, Feyre turned, her head bowed, her face covered by her hair. She scooted off of me, still not facing them fully, and gave them a weak wave. "Thank goodness. I don't know how much longer we'd last with moody Rhys!"

"I am not moody," I grumbled. Feyre let loose something that sounded close to a giggle and my heart stopped at the sound. The fact that she was able to laugh gave me hope, we could still heal, I would help her.

"What's on your hands?" Azriel asked suspiciously. Feyre hid her hands behind her back suddenly, which made them all the more curious.

"Nothing," she squeaked, her eyes betraying her.

"Why are you guys still standing in the door. Sorry, it took so long. I couldn't find a place to park! You guys look like you've seen ghosts-oh MY GOD!" Mor gasped. Her eyes were wider than I'd ever seen them as she rushed into the room. "Feyre?" she squealed. She stumbled forwards and Feyre flinched beside me. I turned my glare to Mor and mouthed, 'take it easy.'

"I'm confused," Cassian murmured.

"Me too," Azriel added.

"Can someone tell me what's going on?" Mor whined, throwing her hands in the air.

"We just innocently walked in and almost witnessed Rhys and _Feyre_ , which I don't understand how she's here, having sex!" Cassian explained.

Feyre's head jerked up, revealing her face. "We-no-we weren't!" she spluttered. It took her a moment to realize why they were all staring at her. She slunk back and turned her head when they all collectively gasped.

"Shit," she whispered to me. I could see it in her face, she knew they felt sorry for her.

I grimaced and looked at the trio who were still staring at her shocked. Mor had her hand covering her mouth dramatically, Cassian had his hand up to his chest, and Azriel's usual calm expression was mirroring what mine had probably been when I'd first seen her.

"No," Cassian breathed. "Who did this to you?" I was surprised by the barely controlled rage in his voice, only given away by the slight tremor.

"It's not what it looks like," she protested, but winced. She didn't need to defend him anymore.

"They know," I said quietly. Her eyebrows raised and she turned back to them.

"Was it…?" Mor trailed off. Feyre nodded weakly, her lips trembling. "Oh, Feyre," she said softly. "I'm sorry-" she stopped abruptly when Feyre held her hand up. I wondered if I was the only one who noticed how much it shook.

"I don't want your pity," she said softly, but strongly.

"I understand," Mor replied softly. I could tell she did. After all she'd been through… she'd know.

Azriel looked at Mor, concern clear in his features only for a moment. I inwardly sighed. When would he figure it out?

I looked at Feyre, questioning her with my eyes. I wanted to ask her before we told them everything. It was her business to tell, but I thought they'd be able to help. I already had a plan forming in my mind. She contemplated for a moment, her stormy eyes shining, dark bags weighing them down. After a moment, she nodded. I let loose a relieved breath and turned to the others who were still standing in the crowded doorway.

"You might want to sit down for this," I said. "And close the door." I took Feyre's hand in mine, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to let go.

* * *

 **(A/N):** Another update! Whoo! It's a miracle. I'm not sure how I feel about his chapter. Thank you for all the reviews! It makes my heart so happy. I think this fic will go on for a little while longer. You guys are so sweet and give me such positive reviews and I am so so so grateful.

Yes, last chapter Ianthe was the girl in the beginning. I'm sorry if that wasn't clear enough. The man was Tamlin in the beginning, too.

feysand4life; I'm sorry, but I can't put when I will next update b/c it is really hard for me to predict that kind of stuff. I will try to keep my updates as regular as I can, but I can't ensure it.

How was your Thanksgiving? I had a wedding to go to, which was super boring.

Was this chapter good? I love you guys! Thanks so much for reading and sticking through this fic with me!


	18. The Aftermath

Chapter 18- The Aftermath

 **Feyre's POV**

To put it short-Cassian, Azriel, and Mor were a whirlwind. Cassian was pacing about with his hands behind his back, looking very inclined to murder a certain someone. Azriel was his usual quiet self, but I wouldn't mistake his aura to be anything but deadly.

And Mor… I didn't know the slight girl was even capable of the hatred that seeped out of her. With a start, I realized that they were acting this way because of _me_. They cared for me. The thought alone brought a stinging feeling in my eyes.

When it came to Rhys, I didn't have words to express what I was feeling at the moment. Strangely, despite the situation, I felt almost relieved. His hand was a steady reassurance, wrapped tight around my own. Everytime his eyes flicked back to me (which was quite often), it took every fiber of my will to not implode at the very spot. The gentle strokes he made on the back of my hand sent butterflies in my stomach, and I had a feeling he was _thoroughly_ aware of the fact. My lips still burned in memory, and I fought a hysterical laugh at the expression on Cassian's face when he'd walked in on us. God, I really was going crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if this whole encounter was a terrible, or amazing, dream.

It was Cassian who voiced what we were all thinking, "what are we going to do?" He said it with enough menace that told me that if I asked him to gut Tamlin and turn him inside out, he'd do it.

"We-" before Rhys could answer the jarring sound of my phone brought me back to life. I fumbled for the phone in my pocket, nearly dropping it a few times. When I saw the name on the screen, I froze. I stared at my phone for what was probably a few seconds.

"It's not-?"

"Elain" I breathed.

"Who?" Mor asked inquisitively. She stopped her pacing for a moment as she examined my face.

"Feyre's sister that she hasn't talked to in a long time," Rhys told Mor with his eyebrows drawn in confusion, then turned back to me, "why is she calling?"

I shrugged my shoulders and muttered an 'I don't know' as I clicked the button to answer. "Hello? Elain?"

"Try again."

I dropped the phone on the floor and stared straight ahead.

I didn't believe it. I was hallucinating. I was going mad.

This couldn't be real.

Because it wasn't Elain's voice coming from the other end of that connection. It was Tamlin's.

Rhys picked up the phone, knowing exactly what was going on by the panicked expression on my face. "What do you want?"

I could hear his voice faintly, and tears started streaming down my face.

" _It's time to settle this, either Feyre comes with me or sweet little Elain does."_

"No one is going anywhere with you," Rhys looked at Azriel, who nodded back and opened up his laptop. I could feel myself shaking. My fingers curled into fists.

" _But that's where you're wrong boy toy, I'm leaving tomorrow night at midnight. Tell Feyre to come alone to the park on Maple, or live to know that she's the one who did this to her sister."_

I heard the line go silent, and Rhys quickly bolted to Azriel's side. "Did you get it?" he asked.

"I almost didn't, but he stayed on just long enough to get a good hit," he turned the computer to Rhys. "He's on campus, a mile East." Rhys looked up at me, still panicking, and motioned for me to go to him. He nodded at the three others, and they all nodded back. I felt myself wondering how close they were, to have formed some sort of secret language between them.

I watched as Mor, Azriel, and Cassian walked out the door and clicked it shut behind them. "Look at me," Rhys said. I turned to meet his violet eyes and waited for what he was about to say. I gently put his hands on both sides of my face and kissed my forehead. "We're going to take care of this, I promise you. Cassian has already called a few police on his payroll, and they're on their way now with a whole squad. The three of them know exactly what to do to get your sister, but I want you to have a say in this. You and I can stay here while they retrieve Elain and put Tamlin away. We would have constant connection with Azriel through an earpiece, and we would know what was going on at all times. Or if you choose, we can go with them. But if we go, I want you to know that you will be part of the plan," he was silent for a few seconds, looking more sorry than he had ever been, "as bait."

"I'll do it, it's time for this to end."

Rhys looked at me, a bit of pride in his eyes. I couldn't help but think how I was even a bit proud of myself, for choosing not to be scared anymore. I knew with every ounce of me that I wouldn't be alone this time, I had all my friends watching my back. It was as if he'd read my mind, because he said, "You won't ever be alone, not for one second," and held my hand as we walked out the door.

* * *

 **(Still Feyre POV)**

"Spotted, behind a tree ten yards to the West," I heard Mor say in the earpiece. She was in one of the highest towers of the university, searching the expanse of land for anything out of the ordinary. And she'd just found exactly what she was looking for. He had to have known that we tracked him, had to have known that we'd come for him tonight.

Oh god. He was so close.

And I'd shot him.

I could only imagine how pissed he was at me. I found myself taking shaky breaths at the thought of what he'd do to me if this plan didn't work.

I thought my knees might give out until Mor said, "Rhys, now."

I whirled around to find Rhys walking up to me, a playful smirk pulling at his lips. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world, but I knew he did. He'd told me on the way here how much I meant to him. He told me of my first night at his house when I fell asleep in his arms, how he knew then that he would do anything for me. And then he smiled when he talked about all the times he watched me painting with Amara when I didn't know he was there, and how he remembered wondering if it was even real, if I was real and actually in his house and spending time with his little sister. He showed me a picture he took of one of the times, and I had smiled so hard as I looked at that picture. An innocent selfie of him smiling as Amara and I had our backs to him, painting away. I looked at that picture in silence, that picture of the man and the little girl I loved more than anything in the world.

When we arrived, he told me that that picture was what kept him going when I wasn't around. In times when he couldn't remember if I was real or just some dream, he'd look at that picture and remember that I had been there, and I had been happy. He'd said to me, "I looked at it for hours, hoping you were as happy as I was this day and asking whatever god was listening that maybe, just maybe, you would choose to come back to me." He'd bowed his head, "I'm sorry I didn't fight for you then, but I'll be damned if I don't fight for you now darling."

I thought about it now as I walked down the sidewalk to where Tamlin was hiding. Rhys was doing this for me. He was putting himself and his family in danger because he loved me.

I couldn't let them get hurt.

 _You know what to do, you know what to do, you know what to do._

Time went in slow motion as I acted out every part of the plan.

 _Smile._ I threw Rhys the most natural smile I had, considering the fact that I was fighting to keep myself from shaking. I beamed at him as he closed the distance between us and he reached out to grab my hand, reciting the script of conversation that we had agreed on in the minutes before. It wasn't hard to feign the smile that was tilting my lips as he spoke. He enunciated every word, and although I knew he was saying it loudly for show, a part of me swelled that he was saying it to _me_.

 _Kiss._ I stood on my toes and pressed my lips to his, a totally real smile now playing on my lips. Everything that he had done, everything that we had been through-he was a solid reminder that there was hope for me. I could feel the reassurance on his lips, giving me a new wave of confidence. The kiss, of course, went far longer than necessary, not that I was complaining. I found it physically straining to pull myself away. Something flashed in his eyes as he let go of my hand.

 _Leave._ After a few parting words, I waved goodbye to Rhys and started to walk in the opposite direction-towards where Tamlin would be. With each step, warning bells went off in my head but I forced myself to keep walking.

For Amara.

For Mor and Cassian and Az.

For Elain.

For the other victims.

For Rhys.

For me.

"Cass, now," Mor's voice-the slight nervousness laced in it-sent a tidal wave of fear through me. What if Cassian didn't get to me in time? What if Tamlin knew his face and knew this was a set up? What if he hurt one of Rhys's friends-my friend?

Even with the doubts tumbling around in my head, I knew I couldn't turn back.

I tried to look normal as Cass came closer, looking to pass me exactly where Mor said Tamlin was.

Azriel was at the building that Tamlin was hiding Elain in, which he'd found out after a few phone calls to some 'friends of his,' he'd called them. He said they were solid sources, and they said that Elain was not harmed. I had full faith that Az would get her out safely.

Five steps away. I looked to the trees with a blissful smile on my face. With a bit of discreet searching, I could see the faint outline of his shadow in the grass. The blacks and greys of the last year, following him around, casting themselves on the ground for the world to see.

Four. I kept walking, trying to be normal and glancing at Cassian only once. I didn't want Tamlin to think I knew him.

Three. My smile faded at how close I was getting, and my breathing became labored and fast. The day before, Rhys had given me a taser and told me, "don't ask where I got it." I didn't know why I couldn't know where he got it, but I took it anyway and gave it a part in our plan. I reached for that taser now, nonchalantly slipping my hand in my jacket pocket and slipping the small device behind my leg so Tamlin wouldn't see.

Two. In an instant, there was a hand reaching for me, aiming to grab my arm and pull me into the woods. I couldn't believe he had actually come. I'd expected him at least be a little smarter, to realize that what he thought was his trap, was actually our trap. I was the bait, but not anymore.

One. I felt his fingers close around my wrist and my whole body froze. I caught a flash of blonde hair and angry eyes before I was jolted back to reality. I noticed Cassian rushing towards me, trying to help. But this was my fight.

I fought his grip and once I was far enough away to not electrocute myself, I shoved the taser into his neck. He jerked and spasmed in front of me, his eyes going out of focus before they squeezed shut.

Cass was suddenly beside me, backing me away from Tamlin as his gold hair hit the ground with a thud. A flash of red hair passed in the corner of my eye, and I looked to see Lucien fastening handcuffs on his wrists.

"Feyre, I'm sorry. He threatened my family too," Lucien said when he looked at me. I could see the regret swirling in his eyes. I was too stunned to see him that I couldn't say anything.

"What-why are you here?" I sputtered, suddenly confused.

"You didn't think I wouldn't call in backup, did you?" Rhys said from behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist. "I told you you would never be alone," he added, pressing his face to my shoulder.

He kissed the side of my head as we watched at least five policemen drag an unconscious Tamlin to the patrol car. The lights flashed for what seemed like days before they pulled off the campus.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before," I said quietly, only for Rhys to hear. The police cars took to the streets and disappeared from view.

"I'm sorry I didn't see right through you, I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed," he said.

"You're here now," I said, turning and resting my forehead on his chest. "That's all I could ever ask for."

I let out a breath. I was finally rid of him; now that he was an escaped felon, he'd be facing prison for life. I could finally say I was free, not constantly looking over my shoulder for him.

Rhys laced his fingers through mine and said, "let's go, Feyre."

I looked up at Rhys, his violet eyes and black hair, and for the first time, I saw a future. A real future, without threats to our lives or covert operations.

We could just be normal, we could go to college.

We could get married.

We could live in peace.

I nodded, smiling, and we walked hand in hand back to his room to meet our friends.

But what Tamlin screamed stopped me short.

"The bitch shot me! She threatened me! I didn't do anything!"

It was Lucien who winked at me and said, "get in the damned car and shut the hell up." Rhys chuckled softly beside me and I leaned my head on his shoulder as we walked to meet Azriel, with Mor and Cassian falling into step behind us.

* * *

 **Elain POV**

I was jostled awake by a set of hands undoing the ropes binding my own. I turned my head a bit to see who it was and if I should be scared or not, but I only saw black hair that I was not at all familiar with.

I tried to speak, but the sedatives that man had given me were still wreaking havoc on my speaking skills. My tongue felt like a balloon in my mouth, so I wiggled my hands to get the man's attention.

I was going to need serious lessons on reading people if this guy wasn't friendly, because when he looked up at me my first instinct was to trust him. I guess I'd hit the nail on the head because after he'd unbound my hands, he said, "I'm going to get you out of here, don't panic. Can you walk?"

I tried moving my legs but to no avail, the most I could do was move a few of my toes. I shook my head at him. He tapped something on his ear and said, "Rhys I got her," before he scooped me up and started walking to the exit. I could've sworn the corner of his mouth tugged up at the noise of protest I made at the sudden movement.

After all that I'd been through in the last 24 hours, I should've been panicked at the strange man taking me away to some unknown place. There was something calming about his presence that I couldn't get rid of, no matter how much my common sense was screaming at me, my instincts felt safe.

It may have been the fact that I was drugged, but I couldn't help but notice that I was hyperaware of every glance he made towards me. I also couldn't help but notice how attractive he was, but I was sure that wasn't the drugs. From the elegant planes of his face to the way his hair fell into his warm hazel eyes, it was hard not to stare.

After a bit of movement and a while of walking, I started getting more feeling in my mouth. I took a gamble, hoping I'd have full control of my words, and said, "thanks for getting me out." Surprisingly enough, I sounded normal.

The man glanced at me and said, "Feyre didn't tell me her sister was so lovely." Immediately my face flushed and I smiled, but then I realized.

"You know my sister?" I asked. He didn't answer for a minute. He was probably thinking of how obvious of a question it was, of course he knew my sister he just said her-

"Yes, she is a very good friend, and she will explain everything to you," he said, with a bit of an apology in his voice.

Feyre. I hadn't spoken to her in ages, hadn't thought of her for so long. I felt a bit of guilt settle into the pit of my stomach at the fact. I tried to picture her in my head, but she must've changed from the skinny little girl she was before.

He walked for a few minutes, both of us silent until I said, "I think I can walk now, but I might be a bit shaky." He stopped and set me down on my feet, letting me hold onto his arm until I could balance on my own. Even then, I didn't let go, and he didn't ask me to.

"What's your name?" I asked. I looked up at him, he looked like a James or a Christian, if I had to guess.

"Azriel, you may call me Az," he said, then added, "if you'd like."

I smiled a little when I heard a gasp from in front of me. I turned in time to see my sister's familiar face barreling towards me, and I felt her arms wrap around me in a hug. "I'm so sorry," she kept saying over and over. Now that I was safe, the events of late hit me and I started crying.

I pulled back from her and said, "I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye." I thought back to all those years ago when our father died, and I didn't even stay with my sisters so we could work through it together. I just got on the next flight and headed off to college, not even saying goodbye. Feyre and Nesta had left me message after message, but I never answered. I was too broken up about our father; they reminded me so much of him.

She did this, she was the reason I was okay. I hugged her tighter. After everything I'd put her through, she still wanted to save me.

After a while, another man with black hair approached us. He put his hand on Feyre's shoulder and said, "Darling, let's go home." His violet eyes turned to me, "Azriel will drive you home, and give him a call if his services are needed again." Feyre's husband-I mean I hoped he was her husband, I liked him already-winked at me and took my sister's hand in his.

"I'll call you and we can hang out sometime," she said to me, and I nodded happily.

Azriel guided me to his car as Feyre and the man turned to go the other way. I looked over my shoulder after a few seconds to see that they had stopped on the sidewalk and were just hugging. Feyre had her arms wrapped around his neck and his face was buried in her hair.

She was smiling.

I had never seen her smile like that before.

She was happy.

I had a feeling I would be too.

* * *

Author's Note.

So it's been a while, huh? I'm not going to bore you with the "we were busy" talk, but that's exactly how it was. We kind of lost motivation, but we finished this chapter up for you guys, and I think this story is complete :). We hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading this far. We'll be posting new fan fictions this summer as well, so stay tuned. I might do some short stories as a spin-off of this fic (maybe) in the future just so you guys know where all the character's are in life.


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